A Tale of Foreign Stars
by JamieGal
Summary: Jamie, a girl with immense force capabilities, is snatched from earth by Darth Maul who intends to use her as a weapon. Later, after escaping, she becomes a Padawan with a certain fondness for another. Life isn't all it's cracked up to be though as she realizes that not everybody receives a happy ending. OC/Obi-wan. Major Character death. Some details in gore scenes.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everybody. Just a few notes to the reader who dares upon this story. IT IS MERELY A WRITING EXERCISE, NOT A FULL STORY. I know the diction is horrible at some parts and I'm pretty sure I switch between past and present tense a ton. The intended purpose of this was to write a character people can come to love and then politely kill them off before 25,000 words under a time constraint. I am uploading it as is for the value of what my impromptu writing is, and if you see any major mistakes, call them out and I'll fix them. So... major warning: Character death. Obviously. Enjoy this semi-horrible piece of fanfiction._

**I own none of these characters, plot lines, quotes or anything related to Star Wars.**

Jamie walked down the sidewalk towards the coffee shop. Her hood was raised to protect herself from the falling leaves that autumn had caused. Kicking a small pile out of her way, she looked ahead to the coffee shop. In the window she could see claims of the best coffee around and various specials. Inside, two people sat at one table and a television played an old Lassie movie. Pulling the door open, she stepped inside, put her jacket down and waited for five minutes before her companion arrived.

"Can I get you anything?" a waitress asked.

"No thank you, I'm waiting on a friend"

The lady walked away and Jamie counted the minutes he was late as Lassie saved yet another person. Twenty minutes later the door chimed and a tall boy, a year younger than her, walked in the door. He turned around to close the door and his orange jacket matched the leaves falling outside. Seeing Jamie, he waved and met her near the counter. His snowy white blond hair was sticking up in odd ways, the wind obviously the culprit. Smiling at the boy, Jamie ordered a coffee and sat down at a table with him.

"How's it going Paul?"

"Good, thank you Jamie. How was your golf match?"

Trying not to frown, Jamie played with her coffee cup and spun it around on the saucer. Golf was a family business and sport. It was expected of her to play but the coach demanded lots from her. Plus there were things going on at home and she could never focus on her game. In the end she would become so paranoid about doing well that she found herself having mini-panic attacks. People encouraged her, but it was senior year and sports looked good on college applications.

"Eh, it was alright. We won again, but it was a rough day," Jamie watched her coffee as she spoke. It was hard to look Paul in the eyes sometimes. His crystal blue orbs would see through even her thickest visage.

"Well the season is almost over and I think you guys are going to be the league champions. Doesn't that make you happy?" Of course it did, but it was just hard. There's no easy way to explain to a person that you just can't emotionally take what you're doing. Smiling, Jamie just nodded and sipped her coffee, which was delicious by the way.

Paul was a good guy in all aspects, but just not the guy who was good for her. It truly hurt her that he was such a nice guy and here she was, probably breaking his heart. He was the first guy to honestly ever have a liking towards Jamie. At first she was honored but over time she realized nothing good would come of the two being together. He needed somebody better than her. He deserved much better than Jamie. Yet here she was, in a coffee shop with him, talking small talk. Mentally slapping herself, she tried to convince herself not to like the newfound attention. It would only hurt him.

Later that night, Jamie found herself in her room, staring at her reflection. There was a certain spark in her eyes. Night was the best time of the day for her; it represented everything she ever liked. The solitude, the quiet, and the darkness surrounded her like a familiar glove. Her parents, who had been "arguing" earlier, had gone to bed. Jamie was disgusted they still slept in the same bed. Eddie, her brother, was gone for the night with his friends who were a horrible influence on him. Pulling out her laptop, Jamie sat down and began writing. It was her favorite thing to do at night. There was a method of escaping that writing could provide more than any drug ever could.

Her phone lit up; it was Paul. Silencing it, Jamie turned back to the latest adventure of her main protagonist and sat down for a good night. Just as she typed the first word, a red light passed by her window. It was no larger than a book, but it was visible. In her county, a place in the middle of nowhere, something as foreign as this was considered bad luck. Stepping up to the glass, Jamie pressed her nose onto it as she peered out into the darkness. She saw nothing but she knew where the red light ended up. About 20 miles away, in a soy-bean field, there was defiantly something. Whatever it was, she was unsure of though.

Choosing laziness, Jamie sat back down to her laptop and typed away until at least three a.m. Sunday, the next day; Jamie awoke with a headache, regretting the writing done last night. It had been beneficial though-she had completed another 5,000 words of her story. Getting out of bed was a chore, and when she sat down in front of the window to do her makeup Jamie nearly had a heart attack. There, standing in the middle of her road was a man dressed in all black and watching her. No other explanation was needed. Her pulse increased and her breathing became ragged. He looked like a figure of her famous nightmares or one of her more demented stories.

Running out of her room and down the stairs, Jamie made her way to the front door where she swung it open with a force beyond her own knowledge and looked at the street. There was nobody standing there. The man had gone. Collapsing back against the wall, she struggled for breath and tried to calm herself. It was early, she was probably still not totally awake, and nobody else lived on her road. Reasons for a man standing on her road and directly looking at her were few and far between. Shaking her head, Jamie laughed at herself a little and rested her head against the wall.

Mondays were a drag and Jamie hated them with all of her heart. Monday meant school and school meant people she didn't like and people who didn't like her. Sometimes this meant bulling but not all the time. She had friends, plenty of them, but it was always better to be alone in her mind. English, her last class of the day, was dragging by slowly and there was no way to speed it up. Zoning out, Jamie stared out the window of her classroom and watched more leaves fall. Absent-mindedly drawing things on her paper, she found herself sketching the man's face.

"What was Hassan's fate…? Miss Penzien?" The teacher asked.

Snapping her head up, Jamie answered, "He was executed by the Taliban." She had read ahead the first day she received _The Kite Runner_ so she would not be stumped by silly questions such as those. Returning to her drawing, she ignored the kids who had hoped for another unobserving student to receive detention. It was always funny when it wasn't you. His face was shrouded by the hood he was wearing, but she could tell it was grotesquely painted. Red and black splotches covered his face and he had teeth of a four year old who was addicted to candy.

"After Amir realizes the fate of Hassan he is upset, and this leads him to take on the role-"

"Who is that?!" a girl in the class yelled.

Jamie was broken from her doodling to see the girl point out the window to a man in a dark hooded cape. He stared at Jamie through the windows and smiled broadly. Pulse quickening, she could feel a panic attack coming on. Gripping both sides of her desk, she realized that she had not been imagining the man from earlier that week. This meant that he knew where she lived; Jamie concluded from this that he was following her. Standing from her seat, she pulled the windows close to prevent him from climbing in.

"Class," The teacher yelled and everybody turned away from the window. "He is probably in theater class so return your attention to the book!"

Looking back out the window, the mysterious figure was gone, and murmurs spread throughout the classroom. Nearly half the school saw this man standing on the school lawn and had their suspicions as to who it was. Speaking to a friend in theatre class, Jamie knew it was not some stunt pulled by one of her friends. None were this cruel. Everywhere she went she felt as if she was being watched or followed. Looking over her shoulder became a habit and glancing around each corner was a precaution. Her life was a living hell.


	2. Chapter 2

"She should be left alone. Should anyone else find her the events leading from there could be disastrous."

"This is why she should be trained! Her future could be the tipping point on our side!"

"Perhaps she is the chosen one! She could bring balance!"

"Must we interfere in a girl's life when she has no idea what or who we are? She could consider it kidnapping."

"Why not speak with her? Make her realize her potential?"

"She is too old to train by many years! How could she learn in such a short time how to become a proper padawan?"

"In time… The Sith are not here already. She has time to train!"

The Jedi Council had spent hours discussing Jamie's fate. The conclusion so far was that nobody knew what to do. Each Master had their own idea of what should happen to this young girl. It seemed that the majority of the council wished to have her trained in the Jedi ways, but there was always opposition. Master Yoda sat quietly in his seat, thinking to himself.

"Master Yoda, what is your opinion on the girl's fate?"

"A target, she is. Trouble will come. Let her live her life, I think we should. It is for the best."

The Jedi Masters were all silent for a moment as this sunk in. There was no way that the girl would live a normal life, yet here they were, proposing to leave her alone. This could mean many things, but mostly that this girl would live a life in constant uncertainty. Talk of the subject ceased quickly as all members agreed. The next topic was brought to the floor and nobody spoke another word of Jamie for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Qui-Gon Jinn, a respected Jedi Knight, was walking briskly down the hallway to where his padawan was training. Jinn had been training Obi-Wan Kenobi for quite some time now, and as his third apprentice, Jinn was sure he was the best. There was a quiet yet peaceful air to the temple. Things had been going excellently compared to past. Breathing deeply and enjoying the moments spent at the temple, Jinn walked into the room where his padawan was studying.

Kenobi was practicing his light saber skills, and he was advancing faster than Jinn had anticipated. Taking advantage of the situation, Jinn snuck up behind his apprentice and drew out his saber to surprise his padawan. Green met blue at Obi-Wan instinctively turned to meet his master's blade. His padawan braid whipped around to hit him in the face as he chuckled slightly. Dropping his weapon to the side, Jinn laughed as well before he turned serious.

"Obi-Wan I have something I need you to do"

"Anything, Master"

Leaning in closer, Jinn spoke quieter, "I need you to find information. There's a girl named Jamie that the council has been discussing. I do not know what about but it has caused some disagreement between the members. See what you can find and tell me immediately."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan nodded and left the room directly.

Jinn watched him stride off with pride; he truly was the best padawan he had ever trained. Swinging his saber around one more time, he notched it on his belt, and strode out of the room towards his chambers. The talk of this girl had raised his interest. Her vulnerability had also led him to helping. He could never leave any being alone to die, and from the rumors he heard, she was open bait to anybody who would use a force-sensitive against the Jedi.

Wandering towards his room, he passed a room full of children training their senses. It was always amusing for him to watch as children grew from such awkward beings into creatures of grace and power. The transition was never smooth yet it always bore fruitful results. He wondered what the girl, a mere 18, was doing to protect herself. He wondered if she even knew what power she held. Quiet whispers in his mind told him that she might be the Chosen One, but somehow it did not feel right that she would be the one to lead the Jedi from danger.

Later that night, Obi-Wan walked into his Master's room and found him meditating silently on the ground. Before he could even breathe, Jinn's eyes snapped open and looked towards Kenobi's hands where he held some information on Jamie. Bequeathing the information to him was not easy because he knew exactly what his Master would do once he found out. Opening the data pad up, Jinn scrolled through the information effortlessly.

"She is human, alone, vulnerable, force-sensitive, and has an incredibly high Midi-chlorian count; one that even outshines Yoda's. The reason the council found her planet is because she was giving off waves of force signature to the surrounding area, and by area I mean galaxy. So far nobody else knows of her existence and they plan to keep it that way. She is five years my younger and has no training whatsoever."

"How did you find all this?" Qui-Gon was amazed.

Folding his hands behind his back, Kenobi smiled, "I pulled a few strings."

Nodding, he said, "Anything else?"

"One more thing, Master: the council believes that she could also be a danger. They had refuted every offer made by the Masters to retrieve her. All talk of her is to be banned after tonight. Once this meeting is ended, she is never to be mentioned again. This is for her safety and ours too."

"What about her planet?"

"She is located on a planet called Earth. It is populated with humans. It seems that she is the only force-sensitive creature upon the planet. The bad part is…she's in another galaxy. Nobody quite knows how to get to Earth which is another reason the council has decided to leave her be. It is surrounded by one sun, one moon, and a few other adjourning planets. None of the other planets are inhibited."

Nodding once again, Jinn thought about the girl. There was a chance she was the Chosen One and yet the Jedi did not pursue her. Did they not realize what would happen should she not come to terms with her power? It was obvious to Jinn that somebody needed to retrieve her from her world. He could do it if only he could find a way to even get to her galaxy. His mind was racing with ideas on how to rescue the girl, but he needed to keep it under wraps. Should the council discover, or any other person for that matter, things were going to get sticky. If other members of other unnamed parties become involved, then the girl would surely die.

"Master," Kenobi asked.

"Yes, Obi-wan," he replied.

"Well I was just wondering how you intended on getting there."

Smiling, he said, "I was just going to ask you the same."


	3. Chapter 3

"Jamie, would you like some tea?" Her mother asked. She didn't hear though. The past few days had been spent trying to hide as best as possible. There was no way to escape from your own life though and she found herself having panic attacks nearly every night. The cloaked figure had appeared in her life seven different times now. She didn't understand why he was torturing her like this. If he was going to kill her, why wouldn't he just do it?

At first he would appear far away, just as he did on her road and at the school. Lately he had been closing in on her like a hawk circling its prey. Every time Jamie turned a corner her heart leapt in her chest and there was no way to prevent it. There were points when she would consider herself crazy, but she knew others could see this man as well.

She had no idea who he was or what he wanted; he made no attempt to contact her. He always just stood somewhere and stared for seemingly endless amounts of time. Taking a glance at her mother, Jamie considered the safety of her family, but he had never made any connections between the two so she hoped for the best. Picking up a shiny apple, she observed herself in the reflection. She needed a nap, badly. Sleep was hard to come by when your life was filled with pure terror.

Heading upstairs, Jamie closed her bedroom door, double checked her locks, closed her blinds and shut herself in her closet with her computer. Setting up her makeshift bed, she prepared herself for another long night. Hopefully, he would not be standing outside next to her car in the morning again. That was the worst scare for her. Every time she would describe her situation to another person they would reprimand her for watching too much _Insidious_.

Scanning the internet one more time, Jamie tried to find any information on this man. The only website that provided any information was the same one she had visited every night now for days. Demonic activity was the only link that could describe even part of her situation. However, there were several missing parts to this 'activity' that would make it official. Sighing, she closed out of the website and opened up iTunes.

Her laptop was running out of power and a red light flashed on the side of her computer. Then it hit her like a brick. The red light she saw from the sky the other night! It must have something to do with her stalker! Perhaps he was a being from outer space! This didn't comfort her any though because then she still would have no idea how to deal with her situation.

Bolting out of the closet, Jamie was nearly forced to tears at the sight. Her bedroom door was ajar, the curtains rose, and the windows open. Clothes that were on her bed were strewn across the floor and some were ripped on the front. She hadn't heard any noise yet he had come and soiled an entire room in a matter of a few minutes. Clutching the wall for support Jamie observed the rest of her room. Light poured in from the hallway and she dreaded the sight. He was here.

Creeping out of the room, she took the stairs one by one to reach the main floor. Her mother, who had been in the kitchen moments ago, was nowhere to be found. On the counter there was her cup of tea and a small drop of blood. Choking on a sob, Jamie tried to find her family. The house was silent. Normal noises which would fill the empty space were gone and replaced with deafening silence. Rounding the corner to the living room, Jamie dropped to her knees in shock.

Her mother and father were tied to chairs and the man in the cloak stood next to them with a glowing red wand pointed at their necks. She could see the heat vibrating off it and knew instantly that it could kill with a single swoop. Crying silently, Jamie reached out for her family and her stalker merely laughed in her face.

"Why are you doing this," she asked.

He laughed at her even harder.

"Why don't you just kill me already? You're a crazy bastard! Lord knows you have had enough times to kill me so just do it! Leave them alone!"

His smile faded, "I don't want to kill you." His voice was like a growl. The yellow stain of his teeth made him even eerier than first perceived. What has he eaten with those teeth? Has he tortured other girls like this? Is this just some sort of sick enjoyment that he gets out of scaring people? Questions like these fired through Jamie's mind as she tried to piece together his reasoning.

"Then why are you doing this," Jamie pleaded. She dropped her head into her hands and tried to make sense of it all.

"My ship was broken," he muttered, "I needed time. Why not make it as enjoyable as possible?"

Fury rose in Jamie's chest as she spoke "Enjoyable? That's what you call this madness? You are an asshole! You deserve to die! I will kill you!" With her last words, she jumped up and attempted to hurt this form of man that had haunted her so. He didn't put any effort into stopping her, but every move he made was so that she would not hurt herself. Blocking every hit she threw, he made no attempt to stop her at first.

"Stop this," he demanded, "I need to bring you back unscathed."

Jamie was confused but she was going to use this to her advantage, "Then leave my parents alone."

Drawing his weapon up to glance at it, he paused before he said, "No," and swung the blade down, decapitating Jamie's mother.

"No!" Jamie screamed. Time slowed as she saw the light leave her mother's eyes. Next to her, her father started shaking in his chair. Her agonized scream died out harshly as she cried even harder. There was nothing she could do to stop him. He laughed as he brought the blade down upon her father's head. Jamie turned around afterwards and threw up her entire stomach contents as she looked at the dead bodies. Collapsing on the floor she watched the villain step closer.

"Leave me alone," she whispered, pleaded.

"Never," he whispered back in her ear.

A cloth was placed over her eyes and she blacked out from the pain.

"-has been sleeping for quite some time now Master. The ship is fully repaired and functional. I shall be leaving in two minutes."

"Excellent Maul, I shall have a ship waiting for you outside of the wormhole to make sure you arrive safely back in our universe."

"Thank you Master."

Jamie stirred from her position on a small bed. She looked around and found a tiny room with one door. The man had done something to make her pass out, but she could not remember what happened. Sitting up, she pressed a hand to her head and attempted to rid herself of the vile headache that was beginning to form. Standing up, she felt her stomach shake and she was reminded of what happened. She fell back to the bed with an "oh" and tried to hold herself together. The pain was still fresh and raw.

Standing once more, Jamie made her way to the door, which swooshed open once she neared, and found herself in a slightly larger room. Her captor, Maul, was sitting at the dashboard of what seemed to look like a flight control tower. Buttons covered half of the board while other miscellaneous things filled other spaces. Stepping forward, she alerted Maul of her presence by accidently knocking over a small trinket on a table.

The next moment, a red sword was hovering under her chin, and Maul was glaring at her. "I did not hear you wake," he said.

"I did not intend for you to… _Maul_," she hissed his name like poison.

Stepping back he frowned at the young girl, "_Darth_ Maul," he said.

Scoffing at the lame name, Jamie turned and looked around the room. There seemed to be no obvious exit. "Where am I?"

"Aboard my ship," Maul said as he returned to the controls.

"How did we get to a ship so fast? I live nowhere near any water."

"This is not a boat."

"What is this then?"

"It is a ship."

"What kind of ship?"

A voice interrupted her, "Maul, you may leave now." It seemed to come from everywhere.

"I am leaving now Master. The girl is awake." Maul's mouth did not move as his voice filled the air.

"Good, good. Try to keep her quiet for the journey."

"I am trying but it is-"

"Excuse me?" Jamie interjected. "I am standing right here."

Maul frowned and glared once more at her, and the mood of the invisible voice changed from pleased to angry. "Master, how can she hear you?"

The voice was quiet and did not respond. Jamie stayed in the cockpit for a few more minutes before retreating to a bench to ward off any unwelcome tears. Any ideas of escape were futile and she knew it. She resigned herself to the fact that her life had basically ended and she was going to lose everything. Leaning against the wall behind, she felt vibrating motions beneath her. Panicking, she grabbed her seat and tried not to fall off. The ship lurched and suddenly she felt different.

Running up to the cockpit, Jamie looked out the window and saw grass far below her whereas before she could only see the sky. Running her hands through her hair, she freaked out silently and tried to grasp reality. There was no way she was ever going to be sane after this. Sitting back down on the bench, she found a seatbelt, buckled herself in, and closed her eyes. She tried to calm herself by meditating and it worked quite well. It also helped her banish some of her feelings about her parents' death off to the side for the moment. Once she opened her eyes, the small ship Maul was navigating was among stars.

Standing, she stood behind Maul and asked, "Where are we?"

"Look to the right," he pointed, "that will take us back to base."

A giant floating ship sat among the stars with a grotesque pirate look to it. It looked like a futuristic bandit wagon. There was no other way to describe the giant hunk of metal hanging in outer space. Jamie watched as Maul flew the ship into the larger ship and began to feel a panic attack rise in her throat. She was losing her sanity and it all started with the flying ship. Maul was shooting her looks each time the panic peaked in her chest.

Feeling faint, as she always did when she panicked, Jamie felt the ship come to a halt. Gripping the sides of her bench, which she didn't remember sitting back down upon, she tried to calm herself. She watched as Maul flipped some switches and the small ship powered down and an invisible door opened to her left. He turned and faced the girl. Pointing a hand out, he motioned for her to exit the ship, but Jamie could not move. Jerking her shoulder, he picked her off of the bench and pushed her down the ramp.

There, at the end of the ramp, stood another man covered in black from head to toe. Plucking up some confidence she had left, Jamie trudged down the ramp with every scrap of dignity she had. Once she reached the bottom she stood in front of the new person who would haunt her every nightmare. Glaring as fiercely as she could, she waited for him to talk.

"Good evening my child," he began. He voice indicated that he was old, and his posture showed his decrepit state. Taking this into consideration Jamie tried to weigh her possibilities of escaping. Considering this guy must be higher on the chain of command than Maul, she guessed he would put up a good fight. "My name is Darth Sidious. I have brought you here to realize your glorious purpose."

Jamie snorted mentally and allowed him to continue, "I know that you are not from here and that you are frightened. Given time and some various tools to educate you, I believe that you will fit in perfectly…"

Darth Maul and Sidious had a moment of unsaid conversation which ended with his Master saying, "Break her."


	4. Chapter 4

Months Later

"Presumably, the girl should be producing vast amount of energy within the force, but there is no trace of her anywhere," Obi-wan stated.

"Her home planet, you searched there?"

"Yes, Master. I could not physically be there, but I registered a disturbance the night she disappeared from her planet and there is still nothing. My feelings lead me to believe there was a fight and she was captured or killed; mostly the latter due to the fact that we have not seen her particular force signature for months now."

Nodding, Qui-Gon shuffled through some files on the data-pad. "How long has it been since she has been missing?"

"Almost elven months now, Master."

The Jedi Master deliberated for a few seconds, leaving the tiny quarters in silence while Obi waited for his judgment. "You felt her force signature for yourself, did you not?"

"Yes, Master"

"So you know what it feels like to be around her?"

"Yes, Master"

"Then tell me Obi-wan… Is she really dead?"

Obi-wan shifted uncomfortably, "I don't understand Master. How could I know if she is alive?"

"You know exactly what I speak of Obi-wan. Do not deny that she has a particular pull to her power. Do you still feel the pull?"

Qui-Gon placed the data pad on the table as he waited for his padawan's answer. "Yes, Master."

"Then we leave at daybreak. We shall tell the council of your need to study the outer planets more before you can pass any tests, and leave to search space for the girl. I need you to be sharp tomorrow. Get some rest Obi-wan."

The long braid bounced on Obi-wan's head as he left the room. Qui-Gon watched the boy leave before he went to the bedroom. Pulling off his outer clothing, he pondered the strange girl before he laid to rest. It seemed impossible for one girl to completely disappear from all knowledge without somebody hearing something. He wondered if she truly were still alive. He hoped she was.

Qui-Gon deeply hoped she was the chosen one. There was a cloud covering most of thoughts of late and he knew not what caused it. Evasively working his way around it, he tried to discover what it was, but every time he became close to the source it would slip from his knowledge. It was like trying to hold smoke in your hands. Yet it was a distant feeling, nothing close. Lying down on the soft fabric, Qui-Gon prepared his mind and body for the journey ahead. Whether they were successful or not, there was definitely going to be some changes around the Jedi Temple soon.

Obi-wan, in another room, in the same position as Qui-Gon, thought of the same girl. His knowledge led him to believe her to be dead, but every fiber in his being pushed him towards another answer. If she was captured, who would know of her existence? Who would have use for her? There were some looming answers to those questions so Obi-wan did not dwell on them. Sleep claimed his mind quickly and he awoke the next morning refreshed and ready to begin. Minutes later he found himself aboard the ship, ready to leave.

"I have prepared the ship already Obi-wan. Once you are ready we are cleared to leave," Qui-Gon said from the con of the ship.

"I am ready to leave Master," Obi-wan replied.

Far, Far Away

Stepping out of her chambers, Jamie walked down the narrow hallway till she reached her destination: the mess hall. Several people claimed chairs around the small room, but one in particular stood out. Darth Maul, red as ever, sat in a corner, ignoring his meal and reading a data pad on his latest Intel on the Jedi. Eyes trailed her cautiously as she made her way to the tiny table. Sitting across from Maul, Jamie nearly laughed as she felt the air of the room change. People weren't really afraid of her… but Maul and she had had some heated arguments in the mess hall before and seeing the raw power, the cowards fled.

She could blame them though. She had her fair share of fear in the past eleven months. It wasn't a stairway to heaven being here, but neither was any other path she could travel down. Plucking up a piece of his food as she prepared her speech, Jamie watched his reaction. He was her mentor and he had done a surprisingly good job of teaching her when she refused to allow him to talk to her for the first few weeks.

"Better," he mutter. Dissatisfied with her results, Jamie harrumphed and waited for him to say more. It was obvious he was upset about the latest piece of news he just received so this was not going to be an easy conversation. "Much better, actually," he said.

"Well, that's a gold mine of compliments, coming from you."

"Don't mention it. What do you need?"

Eating more of his food, Jamie tried to lighten the conversation, "I don't have to have a reason to talk to you, do I? I mean, we are technically friends, right?"

"Jamie, stop. You hate me. You go out of your way to avoid me unless absolutely necessary. You want something, I can feel it. Spit it out." He placed his data pad on the table and allowed her his full attention. She was obviously asking for it.

"You're my mentor, and I feel we have a very… relaxed form of teaching. Now that I've been here for quite some time, I feel it is time for me to move on-"

He interjected, "You want a new mentor?"

"No," Jamie replied quickly. Although she wouldn't mind that, "I just was wondering about my level of education. I was hoping that perhaps we could… progress further?"

Smiling cruelly, Maul leaned back in his chair and started laughing. He was laughing loud enough for the whole room to notice before Jamie quieted him. Still having waves of laughs, Maul straightened and looked Jamie in the face before continuing. "Are you telling me that you want to be here now?"

Sighing in frustration, Jamie frowned at the foreseen conversation. "Not particularly, no. I hate you, Maul. Despise you even, and yet I am forced to see you every day. I hate it, but there's one thing that I can find solace in. That's learning. Even if I find some of the things we learn to be repulsive beyond all thought, I still crave the knowledge because it's the only damn thing in the place to keep me occupied enough to keep from going crazy from madness."

Watching his apprentice carefully, he judged her reaction. She had already come farther than any other had in eleven months. She was a protégée. There was such emotion in her voice as she spoke, but that's how it always was with her. That was her weakness, she wore her heart on her sleeve and allowed the world look in and find any and every weakness. She was passionate about learning, he could see that, but the hatred for him had diminished from before. There was a time when she couldn't even let him speak before she tried to attack. Every time he would subdue her, and he didn't like it. There was no need to bring out her inner hatred as Sidious had planned, but there he was, torturing her for the tiniest wrongdoing. She obeyed though because she was smart and knew what to pick up on. Now though, now she craved his company because it meant one thing: knowledge. There might be tension between the two, but she would always come to him. That's what he relied on.

"We have touched on fighting, and that needs immediate attention," Maul began. She blushed, "Then there's history which I believe you have had more than enough of. You seem to understand our world now. Knowledge of the force, you excel at understanding and usage, but lack in focus and immense strength. There is a lot more for you to learn as well. I don't see why we can't start to progress faster and further. I shall bring up the news to Lord Sidious."

Smiling broadly, Jamie gripped Maul's hand, "Thank you so much! You won't regret this! I'll be the best Sith you ever saw!"

In that moment, Maul looked down at her hand clamped around his and felt the heat radiating off of her. She was an excellent student, far better than he ever was. He could even call himself proud of her. Maybe even protective of her if the situation arose due to the lack of information she still had. He did not have feelings for the girl, but she was a large and valuable investment of his life. Pulling out of his stare, the girl rose and left the room excitedly to meditate in her chambers. It was not normal to see her like this and when he did, which was about three times now, he took advantage to admire her excitement.

Bursting into her chambers, Jamie plopped down onto her bed and prepared to go into meditation. There were some things she needed to figure out before anything else happened. Excitement to learn more was on the forefront of her mind. Not to learn how to be a sith though. She planned on learning to become a better fighter than Maul, and soon, one day, she would leave. When nobody expected it, she planned on stealing a ship and piloting it to Naboo, a planet she had only dreamed of. She knew how to fly, it was part of her training, but the only part she needed to work on was getting past Maul and Sidious.

A plan had somewhat formed inside of her head, but she felt as if she needed at least another year before she was anywhere near ready to leave. There was no way she could spend that amount of time here though. She could not stand looking in the killers eyes every day and telling herself to hold her tongue. Each time she could not hold it back, she suffered and her bed sheets were stained a deeper shade of red. Suddenly feeling conscious of the very thing she was sitting on, Jamie tried to drift off into meditation with little success. She wanted to know Sidious' answer.

Soon, she was meditating and pondering ways to excel her previous training. Then she heard it. There was a faint calling somewhere from within the force. It was even a word, but a whisper of a word. She could not hear what they were saying so she focused even more. Lines of concentration formed on her face as she searched the force for an answer. The voice did not speak again so she sent out her own calls to find this person.

_Hello?_

Her question echoed out in the force, and she knew it was not wise to communicate with other force sensitives besides Sidious and Maul, but she was curious and wanted to know what was happening. Jamie hoped that Maul and Sidious did not hear it and she was betting that they did not by the empty response which space provided. Turning her thoughts away from the voice, she returned to her meditating.

Meanwhile, Sidious was speaking with Maul in his chambers about the young girl. He knew it would only be a matter of time before she was drawn to the dark side completely. There was only room for success the minute he placed her parents' killer as her mentor. Laughing deeply, he anticipated her next move. It was obvious she was going to retaliate, but he did not know her plans or her thoughts. There was one person who did though.

"I have a new mission for you Maul," Sidious hissed.

"Yes, Master."

Lacing his hands together, he gauged his apprentice's reaction, "I need you to become closer to Jamie."

"I am already her teacher, Master, what do you mean?"

"Maul, you need to become in tune with her every emotion. I cannot foresee her next action and that is precisely what we do not want. You need to be able to predict her every move and you can only do that one way."

Maul paused, "Master… have I not hurt her enough already?"

"You question my judgment?" Sidious seethed.

"No Master… I will do as you wish."

"Good, I should hope you stay focused in this task Maul or it will be the death of you."

Snapping his head up at the last statement, Maul was just in time to see his dismissal. Stepping out of his master's chambers, he headed towards Jamie's room. His death seemed a crazy notion, and the thought of Jamie being a part of it was even weirder. Turning his thoughts to the new… _mission_, Maul frowned. He did not want to do this, but he would follow orders and trust that everything would turn out right in the end.

Maul reached Jamie's doors and knocked swiftly before entering without her permission. She was still meditating on her bed. Opening one eye to peer at the intruder, Jamie got up to greet her mentor. He seemed to be in an overall good mood so she hoped that the hours that had passed were good ones. The red and black man sat in her chair while she stood in front of him.

"So…?"

Meeting her eyes, Maul said, "Your curriculum will advance as desired."

Jamie was ecstatic. Praying a silent prayer of retribution to her parents, Jamie jumped around the room excitedly. A few second of joyful splendor passed before she noticed that Maul was watching her with sad eyes and not saying anything to wreck her mood which he was known for. "Is this not what you want?" The words spilled out harsh and rude before she could stop them. Then again, why should she care about what Maul thought of her?

Standing from the chair slowly, Maul stood in front of her and stared her in the eyes. He placed his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her forehead. "I am proud of you Jamie," he said. Then he was gone.

Jamie's anger rose. How dare he touch her like that? How dare he do something her mother did when she was younger? How dare he even touch her! Making sure the door was shut; Jamie made a painful noise and slammed down onto the bed where she proceeded to cry for hours before sleep took her. Tomorrow was going to be hell already, she could feel it. Fighting was never her strong suit, but she was doing much better than she had anticipated. That still meant that Maul could kick her butt though. _Maul_, the word rolled around in her head. There were multiple feelings surrounding the name but two stood out from the rest: anger and pity.


	5. Chapter 5

On Another Planet

Obi-wan sat quietly in the seat next to Qui-Gon who operated the ship. They had been searching for two days already by speeding over the vast areas of certain planets. Meditating for most of the journey, Obi-wan focused on finding Jamie's force signature near where they were. So far the journey was fruitless and he was beginning to become frustrated with the total lack of force energy within some planets. Ending his current meditation which had lasted for over 20 hours now, Obi-wan excused himself to get a glass of water and an apple. Picking up a data pad in the tiny ship, he scanned for more traces of the girl.

His master was patient and understanding while Obi could not stand the lack of response he was receiving. As he bit into his apple, he could feel the ship slowing and eventually landing. Walking to the cockpit, he looked over at Qui-Gon. His master just left the ship quietly, pulled up his hood, and walked out into the shady area of a lesser populated planet. Doing the same, Obi followed his master unquestionably.

"I think it would be a good idea to stretch our legs for a little while," Qui-Gon said after Obi did not ask any questions.

"I agree Master," Obi-wan said as he watched some people file in and out of curious little shops. There were many species here, but none seemed very friendly. The padawan watched as somebody haggled for a seemingly worthless item. Picking up their pace, the Jedi walked into a local bar and sat down at one of the booths. Pretending to seem interested in the place, Qui-Gon scanned the crowd quickly.

They chose a booth near the kitchen which allowed them to be passed over by most eyes. However, a single pair of eyes picked the two Jedi out the minute they walked in the door. Across the room, a woman of the human race watched the men as they order a drink and chat about irrelevant things. Pulling up the hood of her cloak, she placed her own drink on the table and approached the men casually. Both had obviously noticed her and had placed their hands atop their light sabers.

"Hello boys," she greeted them cheerily.

Qui-Gon stood, "And who do we have the pleasure of meeting today?"

"Armatta DiCotti at your service," she spoke deeply while taking a bow in front of them. Some people noticed and scoffed. The Jedi shifted uncomfortably under the new stares.

Suddenly, Obi-wan jumped up, "I know you!"

"Oh, well I'm quite sure I don't know you Fanboy Wonder."

"Who is this woman Obi-wan?"

"Master, she served as a force sensitive aid to the Jedi at one point. I read her story in a case file. She has the ability-"

"-to use the force to directly pinpoint any other force users, yes, yes we all know. Thank you for the history lesson Fanboy Wonder."

"My name is Obi-wan."

Scoffing, the woman was indignant towards the Jedi. "Look, I can sense that you both have been searching for your lost lover or whatever, and I'm interested."

"You'll find we are looking for no lost lovers Miss DiCotti," Qui-Gon said diplomatically.

"Why are you even interested?" Obi-wan asked. "You were fired from a case due to your inability to work with Jedi."

Twirling her hands up to her eyes, she mimicked concern over her nails and shrugged, "… Don't know, but I sure as heck could use some cash to get me out of a tight spot."

The Jedi met eyes and had a silent conversation.

_I do not feel we should trust her._

_Obi-wan, she could be our only hope to find this girl._

_In the file on her case it stated that she turned to Jedi enemies the minute she left our temple!_

_Maybe she has seen another way._

_Master, I do not think we should do this._

_Let us at least try._

And that was the end of the conversation.

"How much do you ask, Miss DiCotti?"

Smirking, her voice was as smooth as silk, "How much you got?"

Once again aboard their ship with the woman, Obi-wan waited tersely as she sat down and began meditating in her own form. She was definitely wandering into the force deeply but she could still keep a portion of her attention, body and mind here. It was a sight.

"Alright, describe her or her signature." Obi-wan took time to meticulously describe his one interaction he had with her vast signature.

Nodding, the woman smiled, "Gotcha." Jinn and Kenobi shared bemused looks at the quick results. Then she frowned, "and now I don't."

"What happened?"

"She is definitely protected securely. I found her signature easy enough due to its leaving tracks all over where she has been. However, her signature is being masked entirely. Somebody does not want you to know where she is at. Whoever they are must be quite knowledgeable as well to know how to hide such power under all of our noses."

"So you cannot pinpoint her?"

"No, sadly, but I can tell you that she is for sure not on this planet."

Obi-wan sighed in frustration. He was glad that this woman had confirmed his suspicion of this girl even being alive, but he didn't want to spend years searching for a girl that may or may not be the chosen one. At least if they had some information to go on, this mission would seem a little easier, but all they can deduce from the given information is that this girl was that she was abducted. But nobody knew who took her or where they took her. Sitting on the nearest chair, he waited for Qui-Gon's response.

"Take your money, go," the Jedi Master said as he shoved a small bag in her hands and pushed her out the door.

Her voice was harsh, "No thank you? I see how it is. See you later Fanboy Wonder."

Qui-Gon, upon returning, went to his chair behind the controls and took off within five minutes. Obi sat back and watched his master carefully. He was sure determined, but it didn't make sense why at times. Slipping back into meditation, he prepared for a long flight. Reaching out in the force, he called out to Jamie: _hello?_

Dropping the sack of money onto her bed, Armatta sat down and prepared a message. She was trying to keep from laughing to herself at the Jedi. It was easy to find the girl, and even easier to pinpoint her location, but she knew if she were to tell she would be dead within hours.

She had seen the girl once though, and it was not a pretty sight. It must have been a day when she was misbehaving because she was chained to a wall and Maul, her boss's apprentice was physically and mentally abusing her. Even without entering their chamber, Armatta could feel the way the man picked through her worst memories and brought them to the surface. Then, after every memory, a hand, a whip, or a kick would come down to her body. It was brutal, but she knew it was efficient. All she knew about the girl was that she was immensely powerful and useful to the Sith.

Drawing her attention back to what she was doing, she began to type:

Darth Sidious, I have come across two Jedi today upon my planet. They were searching for the girl you keep in your possession. Upon being pressured, I only informed them that the girl was alive and not on this planet. The search is underway and I do not think they will fail. You must find a way to smother her force signature further if you are to keep her safe. I await further command,

Armatta

Picking up her sack of money, Armatta rifled through it as she awaited word from her superior.

_Hello?_

Jamie knew she heard it that time. There was no mistaking that somebody was looking for her. Maul could not hear the voice, she was sure of it. Stepping away from the current training, she threw her weapon on the ground and looked in the air for the voice. Maul just watched her for a moment before he said anything.

"Are you forfeiting?"

Shuddering at the memory of what happened last time she gave up, "No, but I need to focus."

"Yes, I would agree, your form is sloppy and you haven't landed a single offensive move since we started."

_Are you there Jamie?_

Jamie started darting her head around in search of the voice. There was no mistaking it. A male, around her age, she would guess, was looking for her. She needed to meditate before she lost the connection. Looking at Maul one last time, she flopped down onto the floor, closed her eyes, and started to meditate.

_I am here. Who are you?_

There was silence in the force. She waited for at least ten minutes before she called out again. Still, there was no response. Breaking her half hour meditation session, Jamie found Maul sitting directly in front of her, watching her every movement. Seeing no way to wiggle out of telling Maul what happened Jamie tried to wave it off as nothing.

"So?"

"So what Maul?"

"What was the sudden meditation session for?"

Shrugging, Jamie stood and acted indifferent, "I thought I felt something. Upon inspection though, I found the force to be quite calm today."

There was a moment of silence before Maul too stood and handed her the light saber. "Here, let's keep practicing."

Taking a deep breath, Jamie focused her thoughts on dueling and went through a few moves before she found herself on the floor once more. Standing quickly, the two parried until her arms felt like they were going to fall off. The worst part was that she knew Maul was going incredibly easy on her just so she could catch up on all the lost years. Sidious always said she learned faster than any other pupil, but then again she had so much to learn just to make par. It was frustrating sometimes because she actually wished to stay and learn more, but every second she spent on their stupid base felt like hell.

When planning her escape, Jamie often considered going to the Jedi to ask for help or see if she could convert to their ranks. She knew it would be an impossible feat due to how much the Jedi and Sith opposed each other. Perhaps this person searching for her is a Jedi. A few blows later, Maul was fed up with her inadequate skills. Stepping beside her, he tried to show her what she was doing wrong.

"Your arms should pass the target before the light saber strikes, Jamie."

"Like this?"

"Lean into the stance more…"

"This?"

"Here, I'll show you," Maul said as he placed his own mock saber aside and moved behind Jamie. He placed his hands on her shoulder and shifted her body into the stance further. Then his hands moved down each of her arms until they rested over her wrists. Jamie could feel his chest against her back. Repressing a shudder, she focused on the move. Pulling his hands back to where they rested on her shoulder, he moved one of her legs apart and leaned down to her ear. "This is how the stance should look."

Jamie could not stop the shivers that went down her spine and she saw the smile upon his face when she did. "Now show me how to move through it."

"Copy my foot movement." Maul pressed his body against Jamie's and she felt as he lifted one of his feet; doing the same, she sidestepped into the next form. They continued for three more forms before she had enough. Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from Maul as casually as possible.

"Alright, I think I got it."

His voice seemed a tad bit deeper as he said, "You sure?"

"Yep, is there more you want to go over?"

"No, you may retire until supper," Maul said as he picked up a scrap of clothing he removed earlier. He left the training area and shook his head as he walked down the hallway. He did not like his new mission.

Jamie took a deep breath before she picked up the saber. Touching the tip, she stored it on her belt and left the hall. The sabers they used during practice were not real because Maul did not trust her enough yet to leave her alone with a useable weapon. She knew that he was going to allow her to use a legitimate saber soon. One she could carry with her until she received her own real saber.

Dinner was in an hour and Jamie was still reflecting on what Maul did during training. Did he do it just to spite her? Was he trying to anger her? Or was there an ulterior motive? Sighing, she attempted to rid the feeling of two bodies covered in sweat out of her mind. Once in her chamber she turned the refresher on and hopped in as soon as it was the right temperature. Pulling her hair into a wet braid, Jamie dried herself off the rest of the way and dressed.

On her way down to the cafeteria, Jamie searched the force absentmindedly for the man who was searching for her. Laughing slightly to herself, she wondered how long it would be before she could leave this place behind and escape to Naboo. In all the books she had read it seemed the perfect place for humans to live. She could imagine the city and how kind the people would be once they hear her unfortunate tale. Maybe she could even meet the queen.

Passing a worker in the hallway, he grimaced upon seeing her smile. After he passed, Jamie realized how much people feared the Sith. It was no laughing matter at all. How would a place like Naboo accept a member of the darkest order? _But I am not a Sith and nor will I ever be,_ Jamie thought. Nodding and giving herself confidence, she knew that she was far from becoming a full-fledged Sith.

Every single seat in the cafeteria was occupied by some sort of worker besides one. In the darkest corner sat Maul, beckoning her over and waving at the two plates of food he had already acquired. Asking the heavens for a lighter punishment, Jamie headed over to the table where she sat and began to stuff her face as quickly as possible. Once dinner was done she planned on heading back to her quarters where she would have one hour before her next force lesson. She wanted to contact this man so she could figure out how he knew her and what he wanted.

"Don't choke," Maul mocked.

Giving him a dark glare, "I won't."

He just laughed and returned to eating a tiny meal. Jamie was done eating within a few short minutes and was about to leave before Maul stopped her.

"So are you going to tell me how you did it?"

Immediately her stomach dropped, "Did what?"

"Oh, just how you contacted the Jedi and asked them to rescue you"

He said that statement so nonchalant that Jamie was taken aback moments after he said it. "Jedi are looking for me?" The moment she said it though it made sense. The voice searching for her was the Jedi. People knew she was in trouble! Maybe there was hope after all!

"Yes, a Master and his Padawan are scouring every planet for a trace of your force signature which we tried so desperately to hide. I guess you just happen to be a homing beacon for every amount of trouble in this galaxy!"

"I did not summon them."

"Do not lie to me, Jamie." He leaned across the table and grasped her neck. "Do not destroy what we have worked so hard for."

"I did not summon any Jedi."

He dropped his hand and Jamie breathed deeply. People around the room were giving them strange looks. "They must have noticed you just as we did on Earth. They have probably been searching for ages." He laughed cruelly.

"I don't understand Maul… Why would they want to find me?"

He looked her dead in the eyes and said, "I cannot tell you."

Maul left the room and Jamie understood. In that moment everything became clear about this stupid galaxy and what the hell was going on. They were using her. That was the plan all along because they wanted to rule all the planets. The worst part was they needed her. Her power, which was apparently so vast, could not even be concealed as she studied to become a Master. It's obvious the goal was to turn her into a murder machine. He killed her parents in the name of conquest over a few planets.

The Jedi obviously wanted to stop her or at least keep her away from the Sith so they could not carry through with their plan. Becoming angrier every second, Jamie was trying hard not to do something rash. A droid informed her that eating hours were over.

Standing from her seat, Jamie clenched her fists and screamed. She watched at chairs, tables, and items of food were strewn across the cafeteria. The droid was crushed against a wall. Her anger rose beyond imagination. Stomping out of the room, she headed for Maul's chambers. There was no stopping her now. Escape was the only option.

Doors exploded as she approached them; her force was in control as if she had been practicing for years. A man in the hallway tried stopping her, but she merely swept her hand to the side and he was knocked unconscious against the wall. She could see the door to Maul's room now and it was only seconds until she reached her goal. Before she had the chance to explode his door too, it slid open and he entered the hallway, drawing his light saber. He could see the fury in her eyes. Their color flickered between greenish blue and red.

"Jamie, don't do this," he tried persuading her.

"I'm sorry-wait, no; I'm actually not sorry Maul. You destroyed me. You made me into this creature!"

"I will regret this, Jamie." Raising his light saber, he prepared to face her.

Jamie's eyebrows rose higher than his saber. She started laughing tremendously. "You forget Maul. I am in fact more powerful than you!"

His eyes narrowed, "Jamie…?"

Bowing before Maul, she nodded, allowing him to make the first move. He approached slowly and raised his hand in the air. He tried throwing Jamie against the wall just as she did to the man earlier, but somehow she blocked his force, cutting him off from it. Draining all of it out of him, she felt it pooling inside of her chest. He staggered and fell to the ground. "How are you doing this?" he croaked out as the force left his body.

"That's for you to figure out," Jamie laughed. Lowering her hand, she induced him into a deep sleep from which he would not wake for hours. Taking the saber, she attached it to her belt, left him the fake one, and headed for the flight hanger.

The air seemed to crackle around Jamie as she reached the hanger. The head guard approached her and asked something but it was intangible once his body flew across the floor. The other guards raised their blasters and warned her about approaching. In one single sweep, they were all on the other side of the room with their captain. Picking out a ship, she could taste the freedom on the tip of her tongue.

_Whoever you are, you better be ready because I am coming for you_.

Jamie flipped some switches, felt the ship hum in power underneath her, and flew out of the hanger at a break neck speed.

The stars flew past her as she set her course for Naboo. The planet she was on grew tiny in the distance, and she relaxed as space surrounded her.


	6. Chapter 6

"Her signature is no longer covered! Something happened to her, Qui-Gon!"

"Where is she headed Obi-wan?"

"Naboo, Master. I can feel it. She called out to me and asked us to be ready for her. She knows we were looking for her."

"Naboo is not far, we can make it in two hours at the least."

"Then we will be but an hour behind her."

Obi-wan calmed down after all the excitement and returned to meditating. He wanted to speak with her more.

_My name is Obi-wan Kenobi. Am I correct in presuming you are Jamie?_

_How do you know my name? How did you know I was being held captive?_

_That is a story best saved for a time when we are together in person. Is there a way you can stop on any other planet so we can talk?_

_I… I can't Obi-wan. I'm scared._

_There is no need to fear, we are directly behind you._

_I can slow my ship so that you are closer within my range, but I dare not stop within such a close distance to where I was kept._

_Where were you being kept?_

_Maul never told me,_ Obi-wan frowned at the name, _but as I left I noticed it was orange. I was never let outside. I think it might have been Geonosis._

He could just hear the fear in her and she wasn't even speaking to him in person. _What happened, Jamie? Did you escape?_

…_Yes. I just snapped. I had too much and I…I used these powers that I've never felt before. I thought they were going to consume me Obi-wan! I'm so scared. _

She didn't even know him but he noticed how she was already calling him Obi-wan. _What did you do that makes you so scared?_

_I drained the force out of a person._

Obi-wan didn't respond at first. He couldn't imagine being cut off like that. It would take immeasurable amounts of power to do that to another. _Was it permanent?_

_No… at least I don't think so. I could feel his power being channeled into me, and then when I knocked him out I felt it flow back into him. Maul never mentioned anything like that being possible to me!_

_Jamie, do not panic. Each Jedi and force sensitive has their own way of fighting. Perhaps yours is just unique and nobody has ever tried a method as such._

_I guess… Thank you, Obi-wan. Knowing a Jedi Master was looking for me was encouragement enough to keep going._

_Well Qui-Gon was very determined to find you._

_Who is Qui-Gon?_

_The Jedi Master you speak of. I am his Padawan._

_Oh, forgive-_

"Obi-wan, why is her ship slowing?" Qui-Gon asked from the con.

"She is allowing us to catch up to her ship Master."

"Are you speaking with her now?"

"Yes, Master."

"How can I not hear you?"

Obi-wan thought about this before he realized how dumbfounded he was. "Well either way you should ask her about her captors."

_Sorry, Jamie, that was Qui-Gon. We are approaching your ship now._

_I see you._

_Good, now is there anything you can tell me about who captured you?_

_Yes, I was an apprentice to Darth Maul who was the student to a man named Darth Sidious. Sidious was in charge of everything there, but I do not know what 'everything' really was. All I did was talk to Maul every day about studies._

_You do realize that those are… Sith names you speak of._

_Yes, they are Sith._

_I believe Qui-Gon will want to hear that one. Are you positive?_

_Yes, they labeled themselves as such. Sidious has vast control and knowledge of the force and Maul is an excellent fighter._

Afraid to ask, Obi-wan proceeded carefully. _How far did your training progress?_

_Do not worry Obi-wan, I did not succumb to their ways. It's not like I had a chance to anyways. I've learned to duel, use the force, and how to understand this galaxy. That's it. Maul thought I should be accomplished in those things before we proceeded to… darker materials._

_That is excellent news Jamie! I must go for now, but should you need me, call._

"Qui-Gon, I'm afraid we are going to have to have a long talk with Jamie once we land. There are some disturbing things she's telling me."

He sighed, "I figured as much Padawan. Get some rest. You did an excellent job finding her."

Obi-wan welcomed the compliment and went for a small nap. It eased his mind that Jamie was unharmed, but it also alarmed him that she could have ended up much worse.

Jamie launched the ship into space and waited to see if the ship still maintained speed. It had not been three minutes before this ship had appeared on her radar and she freaked out. There was no way for her to know if it was truly from Sidious or Maul, but she took no chances and headed for Naboo. Perhaps there would be somebody to protect her there. Her distress was sending out all kinds of waves within the force, but she didn't care as long as nobody found her.

The minute she hit space, it was as if she came back from an out of body experience. She didn't know what overcame her when she nearly destroyed the base. The power that flooded her body made it hard to even think rationally and Jamie worried that affected the outcome of what she did. When Maul's force entered her body it was as if her power grew stronger as he grew weaker and it frightened her that she could do such a thing.

Still reeling from the events, Jamie took a minute to ground her thoughts and evaluate what the ship had. There were no weapons aboard, but she still had Maul's light saber. The enemy ship wasn't firing anyways because it was too far away. In the back she found a few rations which she wouldn't need because Naboo was not that far away. Trying to see the ship behind her from a window in the back, she awaited her doom. That is until she heard the voice of an angel.

_My name is Obi-wan Kenobi. Am I correct in presuming you are Jamie? _Smiling broadly, Jamie ran up to the cockpit and sat it the seat looking around in space for him. She felt immense relief and a sense of freedom. Still, she was cautious.

_How do you know my name? How did you know I was being held captive?_

_That is a story best saved for a time when we are together in person. Is there a way you can stop on any other planet so we can talk?_ Jamie nearly started crying at the idea. There was no way she could stop without being caught.

_I… I can't Obi-wan. I'm scared._

_There is no need to fear, we are directly behind you._ Turning to the radar, Jamie's heart leapt with joy. He was the ship behind her! He sounded so calm and reasonable compared to her hysteria.

_I can slow my ship so that you are closer within my range, but I dare not stop within such a close distance to where I was kept._

_Where were you being kept?_

_Maul never told me,_ _but as I left I noticed it was orange. I was never let outside. I think it might have been Geonosis._

_What happened, Jamie? Did you escape?_

She wouldn't have used the word escape, but that was the best way to describe it. _…Yes. I just snapped. I had too much and I…I used these powers that I've never felt before. I thought they were going to consume me Obi-wan! I'm so scared. _She knew she was starting to gush and soon tears would flow from all the suppressed emotions. There was no way to show your weakness around people such as Maul and Sidious.

_What did you do that makes you so scared?_

_I drained the force out of a person._

There was a pause. _Was it permanent?_

_No… at least I don't think so. I could feel his power being channeled into me, and then when I knocked him out I felt it flow back into him. Maul never mentioned anything like that being possible to me!_

_Jamie, do not panic. Each Jedi and force sensitive has their own way of fighting. Perhaps yours is just unique and nobody has ever tried a method as such._

_I guess… Thank you, Obi-wan. Knowing a Jedi Master was looking for me was encouragement enough to keep going._

_Well Qui-Gon was very determined to find you._

_Who is Qui-Gon?_

_The Jedi Master you speak of. I am his Padawan._

_Oh, forgive me, I did not know. I just assumed I was talking to him._

There was silence. Jamie started to panic thinking that Obi-wan left her. His ship was gaining on hers as they flew towards Naboo. She called out to him with the force and she felt his presence. He was there but he was momentarily occupied.

_Sorry, Jamie, that was Qui-Gon. We are approaching your ship now._

_I see you._

_Good, now is there anything you can tell me about who captured you?_

She took a deep breath before she started. _Yes, I was an apprentice to Darth Maul who was the student to a man named Darth Sidious. Sidious was in charge of everything there, but I do not know what 'everything' really was. All I did was talk to Maul every day about studies._

_You do realize that those are… Sith names you speak of._

_Yes, they are Sith._

_I believe Qui-Gon will want to hear that one. Are you positive?_

_Yes, they labeled themselves as such. Sidious has vast control and knowledge of the force and Maul is an excellent fighter._

_How far did your training progress?_ Jamie heard the underlying question: did you become one yourself?

_Do not worry Obi-wan, I did not succumb to their ways. It's not like I had a chance to anyways. I've learned to duel, use the force, and how to understand this galaxy. That's it. Maul thought I should be accomplished in those things before we proceeded to… darker materials._

_That is excellent news Jamie! I must go for now, but should you need me, call._

At that moment, their ship came directly in line with hers and both ships shifted back into their faster gear. Jamie could see who she presumed to be Qui-Gon, the older Jedi who was the Master. He was flying the ship, and once it had its course set, he turned to Jamie. There was a moment where he just studied her face and then he nodded thoughtfully towards her. Mouthing the words 'thank you' to him, she laid her head back on the headrest. Closing her eyes for a moment, she tried to forget what her life had become in the past year.

_Jamie, are you awake?_ Obi-wan's voice woke her from an unintended slumber.

Jolting forward, Jamie took a moment to remember what happened. Looking to her right, she could see two men in the cockpit of their ship now. The younger one, Obi-wan, had a Padawan braid and was watching her as she awoke. He would look attractive if were allowed to grow his hair out, but currently he looked a little like a weenie. Laughing at that sentiment, Jamie replied. _I am now. How long was I asleep?_

_Long enough, we have reached Naboo._ Jamie saw him point forward. In front of them was a beautiful planet with luscious colors. Becoming excited, she looked towards her saviors with a giant grin. _We have contacted the queen and she welcomes us warmly to her home. _

A fat tear of joy rolled down Jamie's face. _Thank you so much, Obi-wan._

From her ship, she could see him blush and his master stared at him weirdly. They shared a brief discussion and then Obi-wan replied. _As soon as we land you can have that cut taken care of and then we will talk._

_What cut?_

Obi frowned, _the large one on your face._

_Oh._ Jamie felt her cheek and sure enough, there was dried blood on her cheek. It was not a large cut but if she stretched her face muscles too much it hurt. Pulling her blonde hair back, she tried to smooth it out so her arrival would not look so out of place. Leaving the cut and blood alone, she smoothed out any of her clothes she could and tried to prevent any panic attacks. She hadn't had any in almost six months, now was not the day to start.

_Are you still scared?_

She watched Obi-wan and saw his concern. Feigning a smile, she shook her head and kept her eyes on Naboo. Soon she would be on the closest planet that could represent home to her. There was always Alderaan, but something about Alderaan just seemed to put her off. Jamie enjoyed the idea of living in a place like Naboo.

Qui-Gon allowed her to fly in first and the landing was a tad bit rusty but she didn't mind because it was where she landed that made it seem like a dream. Jumping out of her ship, she ran over to the two Jedi and threw her arms around Obi-wan before he had the chance to protest. There was some laughing on the guys' part, but soon she found arms wrapping tightly around her body.

_Don't ever let me go back._

_I will not let go._

Qui-Gon obviously did not hear that, but those words reassured Jamie beyond anything the elder could say. They introduced themselves, and she hugged the Master as well, but not as exuberantly. Jinn lead the trio inside of a building where a woman showed them to their chambers that they would reside in for the next few days. Jamie slept in a room across from the Jedi and sat on the bed as she realized that she had no belongings to unpack.

Reaching down, she felt the light saber as a burden on her hip. It felt despicable as it bounced against her hip, and Jamie wanted to destroy it. Pulling it out, she ignited it, stared in disgust, and deactivated it. Exiting the room, she knocked on the door across from hers and waited. It opened to reveal Obi-wan and Qui-Gon on the bed. He was sitting there, meditating.

_He's sending a message to the Jedi council through the force that we will be returning soon._

_They know about me, too?_

_Yes, but they do not know what has happened to you._

Nodding, Jamie waited and ate a piece of fruit that was offered to her. Obi-wan and Jamie sat together on a balcony that overlooked the city.

"I owe you both tremendously, you especially Obi-wan," Jamie started.

"You escaped without any help; I hardly say that I can take much credit"

Looking directly in his eyes, "I don't know how much longer I would have lasted if I didn't know somebody somewhere knew what was happening. I was kidnapped and brought to a foreign galaxy where nobody knows me. Do you know what it's like to think that there is nobody here who even knows you? Not to mention thinking that you won't be saved."

"I can't say I do, but Jamie," he grasped her hand, "You were stronger than most. You avoided the pull of the dark side and you stand in front of me in one piece!"

Feeling the cut on her cheek, she laughed lightly. It was the first genuine laugh she had experienced in months. All others had been sarcastic and unreal. "Close to one piece, Obi."

Smiling broadly, he laughed as well, "Nobody calls me that."

"Oh," her smile dropped, "I'll stop if you want, I just-"

"No, no I like it. Usually I'm just referred to as Padawan. It's nice to hear something different."

"Well your name is very creative compared to those we have back on my planet. I mean most guys are called John, Kyle, Jimmy, or Paul…" Jamie drifted off in thought. She remembered that day. It was a Saturday. The day before Maul started to ruin her life. They went for coffee.

"Jamie?"

Shaking her head, "Yes, sorry. I just… remembered how long it's been since I've been on Earth."

"Well we could try to take you back if you wanted, but you would be unprotected," she could sense how much he didn't want her to return.

"Why should I return?" She asked despondently, "I have nothing left. High school is over, my family is dead," Obi-wan hung his head here, "and I have no people that I desperately want to see again."

"I am sure you will fit in wherever you choose," Obi-wan tried his best to sound encouraging.

"But first," Qui-Gon spoke as he joined the conversation, "we shall need to hear your story. And I'm afraid that will have to wait until we present you to the Jedi Council."

Jamie gulped, "What will they do to me?"

"They will do nothing to you, but they might not like the idea of you in possession of a light saber." He pointed to the weapon on her hip.

Unclipping it and tossing it to Qui-Gon, she said, "Take it. I do not want its filth in my possession."

"Whose saber was this?"

"Darth Maul."

Nodding, he placed it on a desk. "Are you ready to get your cut healed?"


	7. Chapter 7

Jamie left with Qui-Gon to get healed and go on a sightseeing tour around the city. Obi-wan lead her wherever they pleased while Qui-Gon spoke with the queen's advisors. After receiving a tiny bandage on her face, the two left the hall in search of some fun. First they roamed around the city looking at various buildings and such. Jamie met some townspeople who treated her exceptionally kind. Nearby, they found a restaurant of sorts where she ate quite a lot of food and Obi-wan told her about the planet.

"Would you like to visit the Queen's palace?"

"Yes! This is amazing!"

Chuckling at her excitement, he asked, "Are you a really eager person all the time?"

Shaking her head, she smiled ruefully. "No, I am not normally like this. It's just been eleven months since I've felt the heat of a sun and smelt the beauty of a flower. It has empowering effects on certain people who haven't seen daylight in ages."

"Forgive me, Jamie, I forgot. I cannot imagine a life like that."

"That's exactly why I am trying to forget it myself. Come, let's continue!"

Offering her his arm, Obi-wan lead her around the palace. Jamie even saw one of the queen's outfits. A handmaid was carrying it off to be washed. Admiring the colors, she was caught off guard when she looked up and saw a woman dressed in ridiculous clothes and covered in what appeared to be makeup like that from ancient China. Smiling politely, Jamie met the lady's eyes.

As soon as she passed, Obi-wan whispered, "That was the queen you just saw."

Turning quickly, Jamie aimed to receive a last glimpse, but saw she was gone, "She was wearing some weird clothes."

"Hah, yes, the queen always wears clothes like that."

"When do we leave to head to croissant?"

"It's-ah- Coruscant. We leave tomorrow at noon; we leave early because we do not wish to overcome our stay."

"I understand," Jamie replied.

"What would you do after the council meeting? Integrate as a human? Come back to Naboo?"

The question caught her off guard because while she would like to become a Jedi she knew it would be tricky to convince good people that she was not bad. "I haven't thought much about it," she lied.

He saw she lied, but said nothing. He knew it would be hard for her, but he just wanted to be her friend. "If you ever need help acclimating, I will always have an open door, Jamie."

She squeezed his arm in gratitude, "Thank you very much Obi-wan. You've been nothing but kind to me this whole time. I'm so glad I met you."

"And I you," he returned. Jamie felt the beginning of a beautiful friendship and thanked the heavens for a new start. However, tomorrow would determine how much 'starting' Jamie would do within the future.

"We are ready to go," Obi-wan called from the back where he and Jamie were sitting. Taking the stolen ship, the Jedi offered the other to the Queen as payment. The stolen ship could travel faster anyways. After double checking Jamie's buckles, Obi sat down next to her and buckled himself in.

"Do you like flying?" Jamie asked nonchalantly.

"I do not mind it, but I don't particularly care for piloting myself."

Jamie muttered something about cars and waited for the takeoff. Soon the ship was lifting shakily into the air and Qui-Gon sped off into space. It was a few hours till Coruscant so Jamie decided to take a little nap. After two hours her head rolled onto Obi-wan's shoulder and he tried to right her, but every time her head fell off to the side. Two hours after that Jamie awoke to be told they were close to the planet. Qui-Gon flew faster than she imagined.

Undoing her buckles, Jamie stood to stretch and waited for some sort of inspiration to come to mind. She didn't know what to do other than sit back down. Looking down at her clothes, she noticed they were quiet similar to the Jedi robes but a much darker shade. Sighing, Jamie took up residence on the floor and began to meditate.

Concentrating on her life story, Jamie made sure to pick out every single detail she could remember so she would not leave any holes in her tale. She revisited her memories of Maul and all their lessons. Then she thought of her life before Maul and she started to get upset. She found nothing interesting about her life or anything she did. Growing up was the biggest concern on her mind at the time. Why did the force choose her to lead such a fucked up life? She lost her family due to this stupid power. Her family…

The image of her mother's head rolling around on the floor played again and again in her mind. Her father's screams filled her thoughts and she couldn't stop the tears that flowed down her face, but there was more. There were screams coming from her mouth. Realizing she was meditating, Jamie pulled herself out of the trance to find that she was on the ground, being held by Obi-wan and gazed down upon by Qui-Gon. Her face was soaked with tears, and her body had wriggled into a weird shape.

"Jamie! Can you hear me?"

It was as if her ears had been temporarily shut off. Then she realized he was talking to her. "Obi-wan, what happened?"

Then it all hit her. Her mother and father had died. She never had the time to mourn. Her family was gone. She was kidnapped, used, beaten, and trained. All of this was in the name of war. She was alone in the galaxy. Gripping Obi-wan's arms as tightly as possible she screamed her agony to the world. Perhaps they would understand.

Looking at Obi-wan she saw fear in his eyes. Well it wasn't really fear but concern. It was fear for her well-being. Calming herself, Jamie stopped speaking and simply cried in his arms for a while. Qui-Gon had left to land the ship in Coruscant. Lifting her from the ground, Obi-wan carried her to the door of the ship.

"Master should we really let them see her in this condition?"

He pondered the girl in his arms for a moment, "Yes, I think it will help them be a little more lenient towards her situation in fact."

The door slid open and several Jedi charged the door at once. Some were speaking about her force signature and how they felt it explode as she cried out on the ship. Others were aiming to get a glimpse at the girl who had been rescued from those strong enough to capture a force sensitive such as her. One was claiming he needed to see the Chosen One for some reason.

Obi-wan ignored them all and carried the girl into the temple. He was taking her to the Council room immediately before anybody else had anything to say. She still cried softly in his arms, but she was quiet now so he did not mind. Once outside the doors, he set her in a chair beside the room. Qui-Gon was left behind to answer questions in the crowd of young Jedi interested in new talent.

Crouching down in front of Jamie, Obi-wan tried to get her to come back. "Jamie you need to snap out of it. You're in front of the council doors."

That awoke Jamie enough. She straightened in her chair and wiped off some of her tears. "I-I'm sorry Obi-wan. I don't know what happened. I just realized that I almost f-forgot that my parents are d-dead." She was struggling over some words.

"Jamie look at me," they locked gazes, "do not let this stop you. You must let go. They are with the force now. You must live for them."

Nodding, Jamie rose from the seat. "When do I go in?"

"Now," a voice said from the doorway. "Excellently spoken Padawan Kenobi," said Windu. "If you'll join me, Jamie, we can get started."

He held out his arm and Jamie slowly stepped forward. Taking one last glimpse at Obi-wan she didn't want to leave. "Are you coming Obi-wan?"

"No, we have to give separate statements, Jamie."

She walked into the circular room to see people of varying races and sizes occupying chairs throughout the room. A small green elf-like creature piqued her interest, but other than that, most seemed like regular sci-fi characters. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and prepared for a lot of talking.

"Jamie," the man who spoke earlier said, "tell us your story from start to finish."

And she did. Never stopping to acknowledge anything else or even to wipe away a silent tear that trailed down her face, Jamie continued. It took almost a half hour to tell the Jedi of every single detail. Some believed her, she could tell, but there were more cautious glances around the room. The mention of the word 'sith' threw people into frenzy, but she continued. Once she was done, Jamie awaited further instruction.

"I can understand your desire to join the order, Jamie, but I do not know if we can truly allow within our temple ever again if what you say is true," Windu began.

"I believe we should give her a chance," another spoke up, "she has shown bravery and skill. We could use her as a valuable Padawan."

Thus the debate began. For twenty minutes Jamie stood there, locked eyes with the small green creature. They exchanged silent messages with their eyes, and she knew he wanted her to be trained. He broke his stare down with Jamie and turned to the other Jedi. Windu noticed the minute Jamie turned. Yoda stood and Jamie watched his every move. He seemed old and weary but she knew that he was strong. It was easy for her to sense power among the force.

"I suggest," Yoda began. The room quieted, "That we talk with Qui-Gon and his apprentice about this."

There was a murmur of agreement before Jamie was lead from the room. She saw Obi-wan in the hallway sitting next to his Master. Going over to him she told him they were expecting him. Turning to sit down, Jamie was stopped before she could. "Are you going to tell me what they said to you?"

Looking around, Jamie saw nobody but Qui-Gon, "I will speak to you later."

Another hour passed and a droid with a plate of drinks and small snacks came to greet her. Jamie accepted a drink and nibbled on what tasted like cheese until the droid left. Picking at the bandage on her face, she waited for the doors to open again. When they did, Windu was standing there beckoning her back inside. One more deep breath, and Jamie was back inside trying to hold down any and all panic she felt.

Obi-wan turned his back to the council to smile at her, "Hey."

She smiled back at the greeting. It seemed a little silly in their situation. "Hey to you too"

Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Jamie turned to face the members. It was silent for a few moments as Windu returned to his spot. Most of the members looked fatigued from the long meeting. Some were chewing on those cheese things she was eating earlier, but others just looked irritated. Looking up at Obi-wan one last time, the council spoke its decision.

"On the account of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn leaving Coruscant to 'instruct Padawan Kenobi' and 'finding Jamie Collins,' we hold no judgment."

A human stood this time and announced: "On the account of Jamie Collins' plea to join the Jedi ranks as a padawan to the most available Master, we accept her plea and welcome her kindly."

This time a creature stood, "All other matter spoken by any of the three mentioned will be taken into consideration by the council and no further judgment will be given upon this information."

Now Yoda stood, "Take Miss Collins as my apprentice, I will."

Windu spoke, "Do you accept Jamie?"

Stepping forward, Jamie bowed as she spoke, "I would be humbled to accept your offer Master Jedi."

The council voiced their agreement and let Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Jamie leave. The minute the doors closed behind them, Obi-wan turned to Jamie and picked her up in a big bear hug. He spun her around which made them both laugh exuberantly as Jamie stumbled to find her feet again. Just when the managed to stop laughing, they met eyes and started laughing once more. "I can't believe it!"

Jamie started to walk alongside Obi-wan as Qui-Gon merely chuckled at their glee and headed to his chambers. "I can't either Obi! I'll be a Jedi one day! This is all I've ever hoped for!"

He started to laugh again, "And now you'll never have to go away! You have a home again."

Jamie felt the sincerity of his last words and smiled broadly. "I have a home again."

"I have so much I want to show you, but it'll have to wait for tomorrow. Boy, I can't even imagine what it's going to be like learning from Yoda!"

"So that's his name?"

"Oh, I almost forgot, you don't know! Yoda is basically the Jedi leader. What he says is mostly golden and the council knows it. He is incredibly wise, knowledgeable in the force, and has the highest midi-chlorian count anybody has ever seen."

"Gee, I think you're his biggest fan." Jamie joked as she shoved his arm playfully.

He scoffed at her, "Sorry I can see talent when others can't."

Jamie just laughed along with him. They had reached a door. "Oh, I need to figure out where I'm staying…"

"Here," Obi-wan said, "I already asked for you."

She hugged him gently, "Thank you Obi-wan."

"Anytime," he smiled back.

"Look, I wanted to talk about what happened today. I kind of freaked out on you and I'm really sorry about that. The grief suddenly overcame me and I didn't know what to do. Thank you, again, for being there."

"The way I see it, you deserve to have somebody watching out for you now. You've had it rough, Jamie, and I will be there anytime you need me."

Jamie knew it was a turning point in her life. She had a friend, she was going to be a Jedi, and now she had a safe place to live. It was all more than she could ask for. "Thank you Obi. I'm going to head to bed now. I'll see you tomorrow."

She watched as he walked further down the hallway and smiled at the new best friend she had made. Life was good.


	8. Chapter 8

Two Years Later

"Happy birthday Jamie," Somebody said as they passed her in the hall. Birthday wishes came from everybody throughout the day, and after a long session of training, Jamie was ready to just sit down and meditate. However, Obi-wan had other plans of course. She was fifty yards from his door when she noticed something strange. A blue light was emitting from the bottom of his door. Approaching it, she knocked and heard a slight rustling in the room before Obi-wan opened it. He was wearing a party hat and had a streamer in his hair.

Moving into their familiar embrace, Obi-wan wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you Obi," Jamie replied. She peeked around his shoulder. "Why is your room dark?"

"Well I just wanted to make sure the candles were on fire," he tried to say before laughing a little. Stepping into his room, Jamie looked around before she noticed something.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE," near six people shouted at once after hopping out of their hiding places. Jamie jumped a little before laughing loudly at the whole ordeal. Glancing around the room she saw Qui-Gon, who she knew Obi-wan drug into this, Bant Eerin, Garen Muln, Quinlan Vos, and a few other people. She was surprised that this many people fit in Obi-wan's small room. Going around and saying hello to everybody, presents were placed in her hands and thanks were exchanged. At last she saw Qui-Gon, and he pulled her outside into the hallway for a small chat.

"Jamie, I just wanted a few seconds to tell you how proud I am of you," he held her shoulders and spoke encouragingly to her.

"Thank you Master Jinn, it means a lot coming from you."

"If you ever need anything let me know and I will be there."

"You have always been there for me from the very beginning. You're like a father to me."

Smiling, he returned the sentiment. "Jamie, I am so glad we were able to bring you back with us. You are an excellent addition to the Jedi, a wonderful friend to all those you meet, and a daughter to me. That's why I am giving this to you." He held out his hands and in it was a small box.

Taking the box, Jamie opened it to find a small necklace with a ring at the bottom. On the ring it had the date she escaped from the Sith and initials on it: O.W.K, Q.G.J., and J.M.C. Tiny tears formed at the edges of her eyes, and Jamie couldn't help but throw her arms around the man's neck who treated her like his own offspring. The bond between Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and Jamie had grown over the years to form the closest thing to family Jedi could ever have.

"It's perfect," Jamie said.

Crinkles formed on his face he was smiling so wide, "I thought that day should remain close to your heart."

"Will you put it on me?"

She turned and he clasped it around her neck. Her fingers immediately went to it, feeling the permanent spot it would have around her neck. "I will take my leave now though. I figure it's best to let you young people party while I sleep." They both laughed. "Goodnight Jamie and Happy Birthday."

"Good night Qui-Gon." They both smiled as she slipped out of customs to call him his real name. As he walked down the hallway, Jamie whispered to herself, "father."

Once inside the room again, there were several cheers and people asking where she had been. She told them she was talking with Qui-Gon and made herself a drink. It was starting to get late, and Jamie knew that her friends would not allow her to sleep most of the night. Downing her first beverage, she turned on some music and started dancing.

Meanwhile, in the corner, Obi-wan talked with Quinlan about Jamie. He laughed from a distance at her less than admirable dancing skills. Downing his own drink as well, Obi began pondering the strange girl. "…she is mighty pretty though," Obi-wan caught Quinlan saying.

Obi-wan turned to his friend, "What was that Quin?"

"I was just saying how if we were not Jedi, then I would definitely get me a slice of some Collins pie."

Obi-wan jokingly shoved his friend at the crude comment, but the more he thought about it, the more he wondered what life would be like if he were not a Jedi. Besides, he was sure Jamie would not fall for Quin. He was a great guy and an excellent friend, but not her type. Just then, Obi met eyes with Jamie and saw her beaming brightly. Quin was definitely not her type.

He could still remember the day they met. It seemed so long ago. She was only 18 and he was 23. He could still see her crying out sometimes. She always said she was over it, but it was clear the minute you looked in her eyes that she had changed from it. Obi-wan never brought it up though unless she wanted to talk about it. Jamie only told him about some of her captivity, but not all of it. Shaking the bad thoughts from his mind, he turned her way again and saw her laughing loudly. She was happy now, and he knew there was nothing he would allow to come between Jamie and happiness again. She deserved it.

"The longer you stare, the more evident love is, Obi-wan," Quin jested.

Scoffing, "I am not in love Quin. I am just appreciating how much my hard work paid off by putting this party together."

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that, and when the thought of Siri Tachi no longer brings up certain feelings, let me know." Quin headed back to get another drink before Obi-wan stopped him.

"Don't worry Quin because that stopped nearly six years ago. It was a phase, nothing more."

"And is this a phase as well Padawan Kenobi?"

Rolling his eyes, Obi-wan tried to ignore the remarks. Jamie said something to her friends and left to join Obi-wan on the other side of the room. Quin made thumbs up signs to Obi as she sat on his bed. He, too, sat on his bed and watched people as they enjoyed themselves.

"I always enjoy birthdays at the temple; not everybody celebrates them and those that happen are fun."

Jamie nodded in agreement.

"Are you having fun?"

"Obi, you know I love this. You do not have to ask."

"I just like to make sure you're happy."

There was a pause, "You don't have to, you know?"

He fiddled with his glass, "I think you deserve to be happy. Spending an hour or two putting together something to make you happy is worth it."

She smiled ruefully at the ground, "Oh, Obi-wan Kenobi."

"What?"

Jamie started laughing quietly, "You. It's just you."

He was frowning now, unsure of what he said, "Why are you laughing at me?"

"I'm not laughing at you, but it's quite the opposite: I'm laughing at myself. I just realized something that took two years to figure out."

"What's that?"

Emptying out a few drops of alcohol she had left, Jamie turned to him and said in a bittersweet voice, "You're damn near perfect."

Standing, she left the confused Obi-wan to get more to drink. Obi-wan just sat there thinking about things. The words 'damn near perfect' repeated in his mind as he thought about what she said. He was deliberating on exactly what that meant when he saw two people approaching them. They announced their leaving and headed for the door. Soon, others left and it was Jamie, Quin, and Obi left sitting around a table drinking what was left.

Noticing the situation, Quin stood, "I think I'm going to turn in for the night if you guys don't mind. Do you need help getting her drunken arse back to her room?"

Laughing, Obi-wan denied the help and watched as Jamie attempted to search the holonet for recipes to foreign food. "Do you want to go to bed now?"

"Hah! I'm not going to bed Obi-wan. You can't make me anyways," she stuck her tongue out at the last part.

Shoving medicine for hangovers in her hands, he said, "Take these and I will."

Jamie obediently swallowed the pills and returned to the holonet. "Jamie, I will carry you to your room if you don't get up soon."

"M-a-k-e m-e," Jamie spelled out the words and laughed in his face.

Laughing at the opportunity, Obi-wan picked her up, just as he did two years ago, and carried her to her room. "You're the root of my troubles," he said jokingly as they walked down the hallway.

"But you love me!"

There was a sarcastic huff before he said, "Can't guarantee that."

Soon he walked into her room, laid her down on her bed, took off her shoes, and tucked her into bed. "Obi-wan," Jamie croaked from her bed. He was just about to leave before she said something.

"Yes, Jamie?"

"I was right, you are damn near perfect and I tonight was better than I imagined."

"Thank you, Jamie."

"Goodnight Obi."

"Goodnight Jamie."


	9. Chapter 9

Jamie awoke with a slight headache but not much more than that thanks to Obi. She lost track of what happened part of the way through the night, but she knew that she had fun and nothing weird happened. Last year she woke up with the smell of eggs in her hair and she wasn't quite sure how that happened. Stretching in bed, she saw her boots at the bottom of the bed. Then she realized she couldn't recall making it to her room. Shrugging mentally, Jamie dressed herself properly before she left her room.

_Late it is good party it was?_

_Good morning Master Yoda. Yes it was a lot of fun._

_Good, good. I have news. Come soon._ There was a quiet ho-hum of his laughter. He was up to something.

_I'm on my way._

Strapping on her light saber, Jamie left her room quickly after grabbing a tie for her hair. Preparing for anything, Jamie wondered what Yoda's news was. Last time he said he had a surprise for her two trained Jedi jumped out from behind a door and attacked her. It was a short duel thanks to her preparedness but it was a lesson earned. Plus it was a good laugh for the Jedi Masters. Ever since then, Jamie has been lighter on her toes around Yoda.

He was certainly unlike any other teacher she had before, but then again, she had only been an apprentice to two people in her life so there wasn't much to compare. Yoda brought the good out in her though, she could feel it in the way she used the force. Which, by the way, she had completely mastered using the force. Her light saber skills were on par with those her age, but she chose a much different route than others her age. Form 4, Ataru, was Jamie's favorite form, but it was her default form. When she finished mastering Ataru, she moved on to study parts of Form 3, Soresu, and her specialty was form 7, Vapaad. Mace Windu had specifically trained her in Vapaad due to the amount of error caused when others teach it the wrong way.

Jamie loved to spar with Obi-wan because he was becoming more interested in Soresu, which allowed her to practice Ataru and Vapaad with him. It was always an interesting fight between the two. Yoda had never really dueled with her, but she found no offense in that. Instead, other older Padawan would come in and usually severely kick her butt.

Seeing Yoda's door, Jamie knocked lightly with a hand on her light saber. "Come, come!" was his response.

"Master Yoda, I was-" Jamie stopped when she saw Qui-Gon sitting in the room. The necklace she was wearing came to mind.

"Master Yoda has an offer for you, Jamie. Why don't you sit?"

Jamie sat down and waited for information. "I am leaving today to head to Naboo," Jamie's interest rose, "and I am going on a mission. The council is sending a Jedi Master to make negotiations with a blockade that has formed outside of Naboo. They have blocked all trade and have demands; I was going to see what they demand."

"Why have I not heard of this before?"

"Just this morning, happen it has," Yoda piped up.

Qui-Gon continued, "I was just going to take Obi-wan with me, but Yoda was wondering if I could take you as well. He thinks it wise that he stays out of missions for a while. Would you like to come?"

Jumping at the prospect, Jamie was excited. She had been on missions and expeditions, but never any real serious ones like this. Plus she was going to Naboo! It was perfect! "I would gladly join you on this mission Master Jinn."

"Excellent. Now we eat." Yoda says. She smiled at her Master; he knew how much she wanted this.

"After this, make sure to prepare, Jamie. We will be gone for some time and we leave within the hour."

Jamie scarfed down two biscuits and a pear before she left to prepare for her departure. She headed back to her room for one thing; she wanted to meditate for a minute. She thought about talking to Obi-wan about how excited she was, but she wanted to surprise him the minute he got on the ship. After a few minutes spent in peace, Jamie tucked her necklace under her shirt and left for the hanger.

There were only four people in the hanger. One was Qui-Gon and the others were people polishing ships or doing some other menial task. She felt the purple light saber as it bounced on her hip when she jogged over to where Qui-Gon stood. "Ready to go pops?"

He laughed a little, "Jamie, I want you to be careful on this trip. I did not recommend for you to come, Yoda did. That means a lot. If he thinks that I need extra help then this must be serious."

"You need help? But Qui-Gon I thought this was just a negotiations?"

"It is, but I have a feeling the negotiations will be fairly short."

"Surely if they wanted to give you more help they would have enlisted another Jedi Master though."

Shaking his head, he smiled, "Jamie, look at you. You're powerful, strong, smart and quick on your feet." _Thanks to Yoda and his henchmen_, Jamie thought. "If you took the trials right now there is no doubt in my mind you would pass with flying colors."

Blushing at the compliment, Jamie tried not to sound stupid, "Isn't Obi-wan ready to take the trials soon, too?"

"Yes, but I would like to see him work on his patience a little more. That's all the more reason to be careful today though Jamie. One Jedi Master, and two Padawan who could, at any moment, become Masters if they so desired. It is a recipe for trouble."

"Are you going to tell Obi-wan?"

"I do not think so. He performs better under situations where he goes in without any preexisting notions."

Nodding, Jamie climbed into the ship and awaited the arrival of her friend. Today was going to be different, she could feel it. There were not disturbances in the force, but rather palpitations. Something was usurping the balance. Preparing herself, Jamie decided it would be best to meditate on the ride to Naboo.

Jamie heard footsteps walking across the hanger and she knew Obi-wan had arrived. Standing, she was prepared to greet him respectfully and business-like. If this was her first true mission, she did not want any emotions clouding her view of the path ahead. While there were no hidden emotions under their friendship, sometimes the two could become distracted in each other's presence and in a situation such as this, concentration was key to success.

Obi-wan boarded the ship and Jamie watched his face turn from neutral to confusion as he took notice of Jamie. "Good morning Kenobi."

"Jamie, why are you here?"

Taking her seat once more, Jamie motioned to her friend to sit as well, "I was offered a role in this mission. I accepted and now I will be traveling with you to negotiate."

Smiling, he was not exactly the most focused Padawan, "Excellent! This should be fun."

"Obi-wan, this mission is not intended to be fun"

He finally caught on to her seriousness, "What's wrong, Jamie?"

"Nothing is wrong. I merely think that we should approach this mission with caution and not let our guard slip."

Nodding, he agreed. "What makes you feel this way?"

"There is a slight murmur amongst the force," Jamie was always better at reading deeper into the force than he. Controlling vast quantities of it at once allowed her to see in depth certain snags and tears in the force that most Jedi would have overlooked. It also had to do with the perfectionist side in her that made sure to double check everything. At this point, Obi-wan regarded what she said as truth due to the complexity of her force usage. "Something will happen today that will change… I'm not even sure what it will change, but I can feel it Obi-wan."

"Jamie, look at me," she dropped her façade and looked at Obi. "Nothing will happen to Qui-Gon, you, or me during this mission. If it eases your nerves, I promise you I will be safe and take extra precautions."

He always knew what to say when she felt like this. Jamie nodded her acceptance and sat back in her chair as she began to meditate. She did not feel the takeoff of the ship as she focused on finding the cause of her suspicions. For some reason her mind drifted off to her memories of being held captive under Maul. The old, twisted face of Sidious surfaced in her mind and she tried to blank out his cruel laughter with little success.

Reaching deeper into the force, she aimed her thoughts to the small fragment of haphazardness she felt earlier. Then, just as she thought she had found nothing within her mind, a small opening in the force found herself face to face with Maul again. The small disturbance was because of Maul? Warning alarms went off in her head as she imagined what the cruel bastard could have in store for Naboo.

What if he was behind this blockade on Naboo? Was he trying to draw Jamie out because he knew she would come in defense? It made sense but seemed silly at the same time. There is no reason that Sidious and Maul would hold off attacks any longer, but why would they truly need her? She figured they were strong enough to complete things on their own. Would the Chosen One, whoever it was, truly be the tipping point of the light and dark side?

Jamie never imagined herself as the Chosen One because it never seemed like a tangible idea. A girl from Earth managed to save an entirely different galaxy. Laughing at how absurd it sounded, she refocused her thoughts. If she was not the Chosen One, then what was her destiny among the stars of an unfamiliar world? She did not think that she was important enough to make such a difference. Therefore, it seemed unlikely that Maul would be a source of any problems. Stowing away her knowledge, Jamie just prepared herself for whatever was to come.

A familiar voice broke her concentration, "Captain."

"Yes, sir," the woman responded.

"Tell them we wish to board at once," Qui-Gon ordered. Jamie opened her eyes and found Obi-wan still next to her, staring at the far wall. Qui-Gon could be heard from the front of the ship and there was an ominous view to be seen from the windows. Ships surrounded the planet wherever she looked and she knew then that there was no way that this was going to be peaceful.

The captain began the transmission, "With all due respect for the Trade Federation, the Ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor wish to board immediately."

"Yes, yes, of course…" the voice was muffled and sounded unhealthy. Jamie recognized this person as a Neimoidian. "… ahh… as you know, our blockade is perfectly legal, and we'd be happy to receive the Ambassador… Happy to"

Jamie felt the tug of the ship moving faster as it descended into the docking bay. Standing, she looked around to see droids crawling about the entire bay. The bay was enormous and filled with various objects, but she noticed the protocol droid waiting for them near the exit of their ship. As the ramp lowered, Jamie prepared to step out first, but Qui-Gon stopped her.

He pulled up her hood, "I wish for you to remain unknown, Jamie."

"But I-"

"Listen to me. You have the potential to be the chosen one. Should these people be working for Maul then you do not wish for them to recognize you."

Understanding his logic, she allowed Qui-Gon and Obi-wan to exit the ship first, hoods up. Folding her hands together in her sleeves, Jamie took note of every single possible exit she could find.


	10. Chapter 10

The protocol droid lead them to a small room with a large table and not much else. The droid left and allowed them privacy. Both men dropped their hoods while Jamie stood silent, unmoving in a corner near the doorway. From another perspective it would seem as if she was a protector of the Ambassadors.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-wan said, finally picking up on what Qui-Gon and she felt earlier. However, it was obvious that Jinn did not want to reveal their suspicions if they were being monitored.

"I don't sense anything."

"It's not about the mission, Master, it's something… elsewhere," his cursory glance in Jamie's direction made her heart drop. He was concerned for her. "... elusive"

"Don't center on your anxiety, Obi-wan," Qui-Gon stated, making sure to glance in Jamie's direction, "Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs."

"Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future…"

"But not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the living Force, my young Padawan."

"Yes, Master… How do you think the trade viceroy will deal with the chancellor's demands?"

"These Federation types are cowards. The negotiations will be short."

Minutes passed before anything happened. Jamie kept expecting a dark figure to emerge from the doors and sweep her away back to the cursed planet she was on before. Obi-wan and Qui-Gon chatted easily but Jamie remained silent because what Qui-Gon said had scared her. She knew she should not allow the feelings she felt to continue sometimes, but it was just hard to change what you have been used to for years.

Jamie's senses had been heightened due to her using the force as insight due to her wariness. Using this enhanced hearing, she heard the smallest _click _of a vent opening and the _whoosh_ of air flowing out. Soon the room was filling with a greenish gas that made her lungs quiver. Standing next to a door, she was open to one of the largest vents, and this caused a lung full of gas that would not help any fighter, Jedi or not. Stepping out of the gas, she drew a deep breath and waited with her two friends.

Neimoidian whispers could be heard through the door, "They must be dead by now. Blast what's left of them."

The doors opened and Jamie ushered the small protocol droid out of the door as she spewed apologies, "Oh, excuse me, so sorry."

Then Jamie noticed that Obi-wan and Qui-Gon held their light sabers, ready to ignite them. Pulling out her own, Qui-Gon gave her a hard look that meant _stay behind us_. Picking up the visual cue, she stood behind the two boys as they prepared for battle. Two sabers, blue and green, protruded from the thick gases. Nearly a second later a purple one joined the two and all three charged forward at the droids.

Jumping in the air, Jamie twirled towards the ground, knocking out four droids, when another round appeared out of the gas. Swiping to her left, she spun all the way around, close to the ground, to take down two droids. One more appeared behind her and spinning as if she were playing baseball, she sliced the metal from hip to shoulder. No more approached her. Further down the hallway she saw the skinny colors of green and blue; trying to catch up, Jamie sprinted down the hallway. However, the duo was moving faster than she could keep up, and she knew exactly why. Qui-Gon was opposed to her coming, she knew that, but did he have to ensure her safety when she could protect herself?

Drinking in the clean air, Jamie ran down the last hallway where she found the two Jedi fighting two destroyer droids. Huffing in annoyance, she knew they could use her help to make this easy, but they decided to be jerks. Just as she was within ten feet of the battle, the last droid was destroyed and the two ran down another hallway. Now Jamie was beginning to become angry.

Then she saw what they were attempting to do when the molten pieces of metal fell down from the door. Chuckling, she decided to do something worthwhile and plunged her saber into the door. Cutting away parts of the door, it clamored down to the floor and a second door stood in her way. She could hear voices on the other side of the door.

A troop of thirty droids stomped down the corridor towards her. Jamie left the blast door and turned to take down the droids. Red shots fired towards her head, and she repelled them towards the droids, killing at least four as she approached the entire group. Focusing on the force, she slipped into Vapaad fighting form. Feeling the exhilaration of fighting, Jamie tore her way through ten droids.

Feeling the force swelling inside of her, Jamie laughed in the heat of the battle and five droids who were surrounding her flew into walls. Waves of the force were crashing down on the hallway as she called the power to her. It was inherent to her being, the force just happened to be a part of her that beckoned to be let out. Jamie never let it amount to this much since her incident with Maul as she escaped, but at that moment, she could feel the pull of the dark side as she started to draw too much.

Reaching out to the droids, Jamie clamped her hand into a fist and crushed the remaining twenty droids into small symmetrical cubes. The power did not ebb though as she turned back to the blast door and swiped her hand to the side. Metal crumpled into the wall and she could see inside of the large room. The Neimoidian stood in front of a hologram. Sprinting forward, Jamie was about to strike down the people when she realized what was happening. She was enjoying the thrill of the battle too much.

Instantly she regretted attempting a form of battle that she had not mastered yet. Vapaad was difficult.

Halting in front of the Neimoidians, Jamie realized what was happening. They were contacting their superior. They superior just happened to be a man she loathed.

Darth Sidious sat in front of her with Darth Maul leaning over him, shocked to see Jamie. Then, like a cartoon movie, both smiled sinisterly at the sight of what was happening. In her momentary shock she had let destroyer droids sweep into the room, blocking off the exits. She was trapped.

"It seems that you will have your information sooner than planned, Viceroy," Sidious hissed. Memories wracked her mind as Jamie attempted to form self-control. "I will send Maul to your ship where he will torture the information out of this young Padawan and bring her back to me. Do not let her escape and do not underestimate her."

Maul chuckled a little and Jamie lost it. The crushing weight of it was all too much. As a Jedi she had learned to manage her panic attacks, but the sound of her hyperventilating shocked her. She feared her death.

Then a voice rescued her once more. _Jamie? What is going on? I can feel your fear. We intended for you to follow us off the ship on a battle ship. _

He was using their link, which on the request of Yoda had been temporarily disconnected. He said it lead to many answers, none of which were good for Jedi so she abandoned it. _Obi, I'm going to die._

His alarm was palpable through the link. _What? No! We're coming for you!_

The two leaders of the ship stepped forward and Jamie realized just how weak she was being. She was a Jedi Padawan! There was always a way out! Picking up her light saber, Jamie straightened from her crouch and ignited the purple wand. Sidious and Maul grew silent as they watched her draw the force to her and focus her Vapaad skills. She was not going to let those men destroy her life again. In a move beyond her years, Jamie struck down a shield on a destroyer and tore it to pieces in two strokes. Moving in on the second, she was soon walking out of the door. Commands were yelled but the force was protecting. Her own shield of force energy formed around her body as her emotions rose.

Sprinting to the hanger, Jamie made it there in record time by killing a superfluous amount of droids. Picking the nearest ship, she jumped in and willed it to start. Within minutes she was on her way down to the planet's surface. Zeroing in on her connection with Obi-wan, she found that they were within the city.

_Obi, remind me never to let you two lead. You would not believe how many droids I had to decimate on my own to get out of there._

She could hear the sigh of relief, _Damn you for scaring me. Get yourself to the city now._

_Aye, aye captain._

Pulling the ship down, Jamie smiled as she still felt the joy of battle but blanked when she noticed her reflection. Her eyes had a shade of red underlying the normal greenish blue color.

Dropping low, Jamie bypassed several droids before she finally saw the doorway she was looking for. She knew that just ahead the group of people they were saving rushed towards the flight deck. Slipping through the doors, she saw the tail of an orange dress pass through the next set of doors, and she knew they had entered the deck by the sounds of light sabers igniting soon after. She rushed to make it in time; but when she burst through the doors, focused and ready to take on any droids she was greeted by a different sight. Qui-Gon had just entered the ship, most of the city people were boarding, and Obi-wan was directing stray bolts away from the company. Taking the time to allow them a few minutes peace, Jamie wiped out the rest of the droids.

"Jamie!"

Turning, the silliest grin graced her otherwise blank stare, and she ran straight into Obi's arms. "Obi-wan I thought I would never see you again."

"Never in a million lifetimes would I let that happen."

Above them, Jamie could see the queen standing in the ship. A hand maiden whispered something in her ear. Then the queen began to speak. "Ambassador, how am I to be assured that my people will be safe?"

Obi-wan turned to meet her eyes and Jamie could see the disdain at hearing those words. "We cannot guarantee the safety of a whole city. Your highness, it just cannot be done."

"Forgive me, but I am merely concerned for the others. Is there a way one of the three Jedi could stay behind to protect-?"

"-do you even realize what you're saying?" The words came out harsh and unchallenged from Obi's mouth. Jamie pressed a hand on his shoulder; she knew it was only out of concern that the queen asked such a tremendous favor.

"I do not take kindly to a Jedi referring to my people in such a way. Could it be-?"

"I'll stay"

"-that you truly do not wish for our safety, but the-."

"Excuse me, but I do not think you are considering-."

"I'll stay, damn it! Just shut your traps."

Both turned to Jamie with varying degrees of emotions. Obi-wan shook his head and turned to face the ship. "We're ready for takeoff!" a voice shouted from inside.

"Don't do this Jamie, please."

"Obi-wan go. I will keep the link open. I will keep in touch. Protect the queen."

He still didn't face her. The young girl dressed in orange that stood next to the queen stepped down the ramp and offered something to Jamie. She accepted the gift and stowed it in her pocket, vowing to look at the data pad soon. The queen and handmaiden disappeared then.

"Obi," Jamie spoke softly.

Turning around, she saw tears in his eyes, "I thought you had really died, Jamie… I stopped functioning for a moment and almost let an official get killed."

Feeling tears of her own rise, "Obi… Please don't."

"I can't do this, Jamie," he paused and composed his features. "I cannot deny that being around you underscore my emotions in ways that could be fatal."

Water dripped down her face, "… Stop," it was no more than a whisper.

"I will not jeopardize my chances of become a Jedi Master because of these feelings. Know that next time…" he closed the distance between them and held her face in his hands. "It will all be different."

"What will be different?"

"Jamie, I cannot be like this around you. Can't you see how it's affecting me? After I come back, we will no longer be friends… or whatever we are."

She tried to reach out to him, "But we could make it work. I know we both feel the same. Maybe Qui-Gon-"

"No! Don't you see! It doesn't matter if I ever felt the same before! It doesn't matter because I don't' want to be your friend. I don't want to even see you."

Sniffing, Jamie nodded. Her voice cracked, "Tell me one thing Obi-wan," he nodded his approval. "What is it exactly that you are feeling?"

His eyes danced with emotion and confliction. "I wish I could find out."

Accepting the horrendous answer, Jamie backed away from him as the ship's opening started to close. Motioning to the doorway, she waited till he was aboard the ship. They held each other's gaze as the metal separated the space between the two. Breathing deeply, she watched the ship shoot off into the distance and waited for it to blink into space before she started crying heavily. Silent tears and cries filled the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Jamie wasn't even sure what had made her so upset about this. It was obvious that Obi-wan and she were friends, but there should have been no reason to feel such emotion at the expense of one person. That was the kicker though. If Obi-wan were truly just a friend, and she just a close friend to him, then neither of them would be experiencing this. Kicking droid parts in anger, Jamie tried not to lose control.

_I will say but one thing and expect no response. Qui-Gon wishes you a farewell and warns you to steer clear of the Viceroy. He was not pleased to hear what I had to say… about everything._

Then there was the all too familiar feel of the other partner in their bond closing out and leaving the link. It was still there, that much was certain, but much alike her link with her Master Yoda, an unnerving silence filled her mind. Picking her spirits up, Jamie knew that she could not mourn over a love that never happened.

Love

The word rolled around like a flat tire in her head. She was not in love.

Even if she was it didn't matter because Obi-wan could not love her anyways.

Walking out of the deck, Jamie headed in no general direction other than the pull of the force that led her to scared hostages. Feeling their presence on the floor above, she quickly drew the data pad and scanned the information provided by a handmaiden. Tapping a small picture, it uncovered a hidden treasure. There was a secret hideout within the city and it was the queen's hiding place should something like this happen. Looking for the way to the entrance, she found it within the castle. It was inside of the queen's closet.

Jamie wiped the data pad of its information and headed up a flight up stairs. She peaked around the corner to see about six droids walking a troupe of three officials down the hallway. She crept up behind the last droid and once she had two feet left, the purple blade was drawn and brought down hard across the droid's body. Two more went down without a fight, but then as she leapt for the last one, a stray blaster blot made its way across Jamie's left arm.

Crying out in pain, she quickly used the force to shove the remaining droids into a crumbled heap. Pushing the men aside she leaned against the wall and addressed her arm. She ripped off the cloth that dangled into the wound and motioned the rest of the men to gather round.

"There's a safe bunker within the queen's closet and I'm going to try and rescue as many people as possible. I will lead you there and one man needs to stay there to wait for more survivors. I need the other two men to come with me and help find others that we can save."

They nodded and split up the division of work as Jamie hobbled down the hall to peek around the corner. No droids were coming so she motioned for the three to follow her. Following the trail the data pad displayed, she made it to the bedchambers in less than two minutes. Pulling out her saber, she cut the borders of the doorway out so it at least looked like it was done on purpose by droids. One man found the closet in the back of the room and all three piled in, closed the door, and searched for what Jamie had described. Feeling along the shelves, she found the switch to flip and gave a flick of her hand. Part of the back wall slid open and all three made their way inside, Jamie in the lead.

"It's clear," she called.

The men piled into the room, "This could last us weeks!"

"We're saved!"

"Thank you, Jedi Knight!"

Jamie's attention was broken, "No, I mean we need to save others. We can't just sit here and rejoice in our fortune. Who is staying?"

A short, bald man stepped forward, "I will, my lady."

"And who is to relay people to and from this room?"

Another rose his hand, "I shall."

She turned to the last man, "And I assume you will be joining me for the rescues?"

The last man was a good six feet tall, four inches more than she. He seemed to be her age, but his eyes held wisdom and maturity. Brown hair, light eyes, and a beautiful smile all complemented this man wonderfully. He grasped Jamie's hand, brought it to his lips and spoke words that seemed to melt off his tongue. "My name is Pensa, Amdae Pensa. Thank you for saving us."

Eyes lighter than they should be sucked her into the depths and she felt Obi-wan watching over her. That only brought pain to her heart because every movement he made reminded her of Obi-wan and that was enough to drive her crazy. Instead, it was what kept her sane for the next few days because it was always Obi who knew how to calm Jamie.

Jamie was flustered after her connection and her arm was starting to hurt, "Well Pensa, how are you with a blaster?"

His teeth sparkled like unnatural diamonds, "Excellent."

"Great. Let's head out then and find some of your comrades and peers." The trio walked out of the room and Jamie kept talking as she listened intently for any droid activity. "Who is the highest in command here? Who do we need to go after first?"

"I know exactly where he is," the older man piped up, "follow me."

They all crept around the palace and hid behind columns as troops of droids passed by. Time passed unbeknownst to Jamie as she fought alongside Amdae. He was truly a great fighter and he was very in tune with Jamie's fighting tactics as well. Together, they were unstoppable as they rescued twenty three people in total.

Days later, Jamie had acquired many wounds and was resting in the hidden compartment. The halls were crawling with droids after the third day. It was impossible to even look out of the closet now. Jamie looked around the room and saw the sunken faces of all those she saved. She knew it would never be enough, but yet she tried her hardest to save as many as possible.

The first day was troublesome because she snatched nearly fifteen people out from the droid's hands that day and the Federation was starting to become suspicious of her actions. They had noticed the missing officials and started to send guards around each and every hallway. After that, Jamie took caution to only slip out a few people at a time and to make sure they were all from spots that seemed escapable.

"Sit back, Jamie, it will only help," Amdae spoke. He had been caring for her since the second wound, a graze across her stomach, had shown.

"Look at these people, Amdae," she spoke quietly. "Their friends are being murdered and all I can do is sit here and hope that the Viceroy decides to kill less of them today? It isn't fair, Amdae. I can't take this."

He held her hand, "Jamie, I have had the pleasure of getting to know you this past week. It has been hell, but I can assure you that all of these people would gladly give their live to you. You saved over twenty people. Does that mean nothing?"

"Not in my eyes," she whispered.

"Alright," he spoke. Gathering all the things that were separating the two, he sat down next to her, removed her saber and wrapped his arms around her. "You are going to sit here and tell me what it is that is truly causing you to act like this. Jamie, I know what Jedi are like; there's something wrong and you need to talk about it."

She looked up into his eyes as he did what any friend would do for somebody in need, and that's when the realization started to trickle down into her head. Obi-wan had gone, and so did Qui-Gon. Shuddering at the thought of them leaving her here without a thought was more than enough. Tears spilled over her eyes as she let the emotions she had been trying so hard to fight out.

"… O-obi-wan… gone," she stuttered through the tears. People had been staring at her but Amdae fixed that by returning the harsh looks.

"So it was a boy?"

Laughing cruelly at the statement, she bit out, "A boy is no term for a Jedi."

"You were in love? I thought that was forbidden amongst the Jedi?"

"Love is a foolish word for what we had. We were friend beyond separation, and when it came time to separate us it was too much for him. He almost abandoned his duties… but he didn't. Afterwards, he came to me and told me that he no longer wished for us to be friends. It hurt more than anything I could imagine." More sobs followed.

"It's okay…"

"I just want something in my life to go right! Why can't that happen?" Her anger was flaring, and she knew it was not a good thing because a minute later she felt the ripples. Waves rolled out in the fabric of the force that basically screamed Here I am! Attempting to cover her force signature on her own, Jamie realized she had made a large mistake. She knew Maul would be coming to the planet yet here she was, allowing herself to bring about others' deaths.

"I think you just need-"

"Stop talking." She quieted Amdae. "Everybody shut up!" She hissed across the room. Emotions were placed away in a jar in the back of her mind and Jamie launched into focus mode.

Then she felt it. There, just a spot in the force, tiny yet obvious, notified Jamie of the presence of her former Master. Swearing some choice words, she felt as he responded to the call of her force. Swearing more, she took her saber and bolted up where she waited before the door.

"Everybody, listen up," she began in a hushed tone. "There is a man coming for us. He has found out location and will kill us on the spot. Fortunately, he is only after me. I am going to go in the queen's quarters and wait for him there. I need you all to remain silent no matter what you hear. You have to swear to me that you will not open this door no matter what I say."

Murmurs of agreement were shared, but Amdae stood defiantly in the middle. "She saved our lives, people! You expect us to just let her throw it away after she spent so much of it protecting us? That is disgraceful!"

"You cannot face him Amdae, a foe beyond you by decades."

"I can try, Jamie," he pleaded.

"No."

One man stood and took Amdae by the arms, and soon others were helping as they held him to the floor. Nodding to the others, Jamie stepped out of the chamber and into the closet. Noticing the fine fabrics, she imagined what life would be like if she had grown up as a princess or a wonderful character out of a story book. Sitting on the giant red bed, Jamie ignored the sores on her body and listened for the footsteps she heard within no time.

Jamie had felt nothing as she sat on the bed, yet her body was screaming at her to do something. Somehow, every course of action seemed a trail to pain in the end. Her brain had stopped all cognitive flow besides the will to live. The footsteps that sounded told her she was not going to live longer than a few more hours. Jamie took a deep breath and smelled the wonderful yet faint smell of the city. Water, which surrounded the city, was almost palpable in the air, and she loved the sense of freedom it brought.

A bird of some sort landed on a window across the hallway from the queen's door and Jamie smiled. It was bittersweet, seeing such a beautiful creature in a place so full of darkness. Not just Naboo, but all the planet, and in all of her heart. She picked the glum out of her mind, stored it away, and stood just as a figure in black entered the room. Jamie thought her world was going to crash and burn at this moment. She felt as if this should change her into the pathetic whimpering form of a person she was earlier when a mere hologram scared her. Instead she stood there, accepting the demise of one person standing in the room. And if she had money, she would bet it all on the man who now stepped closer.

"Jamie"

Funny, his voice was not as she remembered. It seemed less constricted.

"Jamie, I do not want this to end the way you think it will. I will not kill you."

"Please kill me, Maul," the words were said before considered.

His shock was clearly evident, "Jamie… why?"

"I hate this life. I hate being me. I don't feel normal. Please just end this for me Maul. You owe me a kindness."

"It is my fault you are like this," he lowered his hood. Jamie felt no contempt as she stared at him.

"It is nobody's fault but my own Maul. I followed what I thought to be true and now I am paying for it with my life, and that is my chosen payment."

"What did you do?"

"I think… I think I loved, Maul. And it was wonderful while it lasted."

"Jamie, please see reason. The dark side could use you. Love is not shunned under Sidious' word. Come back with me and live without limits."

She shook her head sorrowfully and smiled at the irony. "I became a Jedi Padawan because I wanted to be strong so I could defend myself. Yet, here I am, waiting for my old friend to kill me because I am too weak due to the Jedi."

He finally understood her words. She was broken from the brutal killings of her parents, to the months of continuous torture, the forced learning of dark material, the feeling of belonging, and then having the best thing in your life ripped away. Then, like alcohol on a cut, her past came back to finish things off. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

She nodded.

"I was ordered to bring you back alive, but I think our fighting became… intense."

"Maul, make it quick, please."

He nodded this time. "I want you to know I will regret this to the end of my days, Jamie."

"And I will praise you for it."

"Very well, then."

Jamie knelt on the ground and waited for the final blow. She closed her eyes and pictured that autumn day when things started to change. She thought of Paul and how weird her life became. She thought of friends she had on Earth and what they thought of her now. She thought of her parents. She thought of their death.

She thought of those months inside that old compound. She thought of the things Maul taught her. She thought of the pain and the endless hole in her heart. She thought of her powers. She thought of how she escaped. She thought about those two ships travelling across space as Obi-wan attempted to save a girl he didn't even know.

She thought of Obi-wan.

It was all she could manage in one tiny second before the blade came down.

_Obi-wan, forgive me, but you must know. I love you._

Her birthday came to mind and she smiled happily as she realized there were some happy moments. There were occasions that people ended up being happy. She just was not one of those people. She could not handle the sadness of her life anymore. There was only so much she could take when Obi-wan helped share a load of her problems.

Jamie felt nothing as the blade came in contact with her neck.

The only thing that crossed her thoughts was the joy of relief.

Her conscious joined with the force and her body toppled to the ground.

_Obi-wan, forgive me, but you must know. I love you._

_Obi-wan… you must know. I love you._

_Obi-wan, I love you._

_Obi-wan_

At that moment, she had felt all the pain and all the joy of the galaxy at once. At that moment, she faded into the distance and let herself go. She laid her heart and mind to rest. It was something she had not done before, and it was something she would never again have the chance to do. In fact, she was quite pleased that it was her last act.


End file.
